Outer Waves Festival 2026

Outer Waves 2026: Liverpool’s Experimental Arts Festival Returns — May 23–24, 2026

Following an acclaimed debut in 2025, Outer Waves Festival returns to Liverpool this spring for its second edition, taking place May 23–24, 2026, across Invisible Wind Factory and Make North Docks.

Outer Waves is a weekend of boundary-pushing sound, performance, and art — a gathering for the curious and the sonically adventurous. This year’s programme brings together an international roster of artists exploring ritual, rhythm, and raw emotion in all their forms.

The 2026 lineup features **OXN** (featuring Radie Peat of Lankum), weaving Irish folk mysticism through droning electronics; **Dame Area**, the Catalan duo known for their percussive industrial minimalism; **Jarboe feat Thor Harris & Joy Von Spain** (ex-Swans), two legendary figures of transcendent experimental rock; **Waq Waq Kingdom** from Japan, fusing psychedelic dance and tribal bass; Syrian musician **Mohammad Syfkhan**, whose euphoric reinterpretations of Dabke music ignite dance floors; Liverpool art collective **a.P.A.t.T**., masters of genre-defying chaos; the ever-anarchic **Unstoppable Sweeties Show**; and **Domestic Partners**, bringing surreal, queer performance pop.

Beyond the performances, Outer Waves 2026 will host workshops, panel discussions, and art installations, with further details to be announced.

Presented by Outer Waves Festival.

This is an 18+ event