LIVERPOOL ARAB ARTS FESTIVAL 2026: WHERE RHYTHM, IDENTITY & STORY COLLIDE

Liverpool’s summer soundtrack is about to get a powerful new pulse as the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) returns from 17-26 July 2026, bringing a dynamic fusion of music, culture and storytelling to venues across the city.

Now in its 24th year, LAAF continues to push boundaries – this time exploring the theme of ‘home’ through sound, performance and lived experience. But while the programme spans film, literature and theatre, it’s the music-led moments that truly promise to electrify.

At the centre of this year’s line-up is internationally acclaimed percussionist Simona Abdallah, whose work has redefined the possibilities of the darbuka, a traditional drum often dominated by male performers. Her return to Liverpool is more than a gig – it’s a statement.

Her Rough Trade takeover (Saturday 25 July) unfolds in two parts: an intimate afternoon conversation blending live acoustic performance with reflections on resistance, identity and creative freedom, followed by a high-energy evening set that shifts into club territory. Joining her are two heavyweights of the contemporary Arab electronic scene – Palestinian DJ Hiba Salameh and Jordanian sound artist DJ MUSYS – creating a genre-crossing collision of Arabic rhythms, experimental electronica and global club culture.

Elsewhere, music threads subtly through the wider programme. A standout is the collaboration between Tamsin Elliott (UK) and Egyptian artist Tarek Elazhary, set for the Philharmonic Music Room. Expect an exploratory dialogue between folk traditions and modern composition, blurring borders both sonically and geographically.

But LAAF isn’t just about performance – it’s about context. Events like the documentary screening My Father and Qaddafi and the launch of The Book of Damascus ground the festival in powerful narratives of migration, memory and identity—reminding audiences that music doesn’t exist in a vacuum, but as part of lived cultural experience.

The festival culminates in a free Family Day at Sefton Park’s Palm House, offering a more accessible entry point into Arab arts, with a celebratory, community-driven atmosphere.

What makes LAAF stand out is its ability to hold space for both joy and complexity. This year’s programme moves fluidly between introspection and celebration, from deeply personal storytelling to dancefloor release.

In a city with a long history of global exchange, LAAF 2026 feels especially at home – amplifying voices from across the Arab world while connecting them to Liverpool’s ever-evolving cultural landscape.

Tickets are on sale now via arabartsfestival.com – this is one summer line-up worth tuning into.