A NEW WAVE HITS THE DOCKS: OUTER WAVES FESTIVAL ARRIVES IN LIVERPOOL THIS MAY
In recent years, Liverpool’s underground music and art communities have felt the weight of lost venues and shifting cultural priorities. But this May, a bold new festival aims to turn the tide.
Outer Waves Festival, launching 24–25 May 2025, is stepping in where others left off. Spearheaded by Joel Murray and Laura from Invisible Wind Factory, the festival is a two-day, multi-venue takeover of the city’s North Docks – featuring more than 40 acts across experimental music, underground club culture, and boundary-pushing visual art.
“Outer Waves’ main mission is to unite the rich underground music and art scene in Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area,” explains co-curator Joel Murray. “We’ve had so many venues close and shifts in the cultural landscape – it feels like the city is really missing a celebration of the leftfield. That’s exactly what we’re aiming to do.”
That sense of purpose is woven through every element of the festival. From the hypnotic minimalism of headliners Ex-Easter Island Head on Saturday to the genre-bending psychedelia of GONG on Sunday, the lineup champions the strange, the bold, and the sonically adventurous. Other standout names include Mandy Indiana, AJA Ireland, Hyperdawn, Abstract Concrete, and Smote.
But perhaps most crucially, Outer Waves makes space for the city’s own. Over half of the acts are Liverpool or Merseyside-based, including A Lesser Version, Algernon Cornelius, Silverwingkiller, Coughin Vicars, NZanZu, and Transmission Towers.
“There are so many amazing people making incredible art in the city,” says Joel, “and we feel strongly that these acts deserve celebrating—a light shining on them—and the chance to share a stage with some of the UK’s most boundary-pushing, exciting artists.”
It’s a return to something the city once had in abundance: a platform for experimental and alternative culture with real ambition.
“Events like Liverpool Music Week and Liverpool Psych Fest were fantastic cultural happenings that reached throughout Merseyside, the UK, and Europe. Since they finished, there hasn’t really been a similar event stepping in to fill that void.”
The festival’s reach goes beyond music. Invisible Wind Factory and Make Liverpool will also host a dynamic visual arts programme, with contributions from The Wandering Library, ASIMETRIA, Kromavision, and Onomataposter. Expect zines, alternative print, and design that intersects with DIY music culture in thoughtful, tactile ways.
As the sun sets, the energy shifts into club territory. DJ takeovers from Strike a Pose, Queensway, Nina Keh, and Outlandswill fuel the after-hours programme with fierce, genre-defying sounds that blur the lines between rave, performance, and community ritual.
“We’re really proud of what we have in store for Outer Waves,” Joel concludes.
“We want to showcase the amazing talent and culture in our city—putting Liverpool back on the map as a cultural hub of experimental, alternative art and music.”
Outer Waves Festival isn’t just another date in the diary—it’s a statement of intent. In a city as creatively restless as Liverpool, it feels like the start of something essential.
Outer Waves Festival takes place 24–25 May 2025 across Invisible Wind Factory, Make Liverpool, and the wider North Docks area. Tickets are available now at outer-waves.co.uk.
