THE Engine Room at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport is reopening fully as a working music venue from this Saturday, 2 May 2026, as it hosts a May Day Festival.
This will be a busy May Bank Holiday Weekend for the arcade, with the new Drishti Point Yoga hosting its official launch event, and the Hair Lounge Collective holding an Open Day after its recent refurbishment.
The Big Top Festival is also in town, with 18 performances across 5 stages in the Town Hall Gardens and elsewhere in the town centre.
The Engine Room, on the 1st floor of Wayfarers Arcade, is hosting a May Day celebration of music, craft and festivity as the venue relaunches as Southport’s Civic House for culture, craft and music.
Rooted in seasonal traditions but reimagined for today, the day brings together live music, dancing, making, and shared celebration - moving from an open daytime programme into an evening of performance and festivity.
Day Programme (12:00–17:00)
Open, family-friendly, and free-flowing.
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Music and open atmosphere throughout the space
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Maypole dancing and seasonal activities upstairs
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Drop-in craft workshops (including floral crowns and making activities)
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Circus skills and informal performances
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Café and bar open throughout
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Hosted session atmosphere building through the evening
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Space to sit, gather, and participate
Evening Programme (from 17:30)
Ticketed live music and celebration.
Further details on Eventbrite.
An Engine Room spokesperson said:- “We’re pleased to announce that The Engine Room at Wayfarers Arcade will reopen fully as a working music venue from Saturday 2 May 2026, operating thereafter from Thursday to Sunday each week, days and nights. Full hours coming soon. Over the past months, we’ve taken longer than expected to reopen as we’d like to. That wasn’t the original plan – and we tried a few interim experiments that couldn’t carry the project costs on their own. In the background, our director, Eric Lybeck chipped away at more long term funding strategies. We’re thrilled to announce that these are now ready to bear fruit. We’ve secured substantial support from Arts Council England, alongside our existing backing from Kindred LCR, allowing us to establish the next phase of work in the arcade."
The spokesperson continued:- “The Engine Room will now open as a regular space for live sessions, resident musicians, and a developing programme rooted in folk, jazz, and acoustic traditions. The aim is straightforward:- to build a room where music is played, heard, and sustained over time. We begin this journey during Southport’s Big Top Festival – remaking the magic of the May Day festival we hosted last year. Adding to this we’ve got circus skills workshops by Seamus Lavan, a Lecoq trained clown.We’ve got Green Man and May Queen crafts for kids. We’ve got mead flowing inside and out in the sunshine of our West Street entrance. We’ve got live music and dancing from the afternoon into the evening including from St Patrick's Ceilidh band from Manchester - getting us all ready for the spring and summer ahead. We'll be running these seasonal festivals eight times a year keeping these rhythms going. So, if you’ve missed us - if you've been waiting to give us another look in – this will be the date! More details on our exciting funding news and future plans. In the meantime, mark your diaries and plan to call in anytime from noon on:- 2 May 2026.”
