Wayfarers Arcade sponsored feature
The Engine Room at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport is fully reopening this May as a working music venue, with several new events for people to look forward to.
The venue, situated on the first floor near the West Street entrance to the arcade, will welcome back visitors from Saturday 2nd May 2026. Entry is free.
On that day, The Arcade Project, which operates the venue, will host a May Day Festival with all welcome between 12pm and 8pm.
Families can enjoy a Traditional Irish Session with a St Patrick’s Ceilidh Band, Maypole Dancing, and circus skills with ‘The Mad Duke’.
Mead will be served.
It is part of the Big Top Festival, organised in Southport town centre by Sefton Council with a unique chance to clown around, stilt walk and juggle alongside world-class circuit acts on Saturday, 2nd May 2 and Sunday, 3rd May 2026.
An Arcade Project 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, 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 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 2nd May.”
Full listings and further details can be found on Eventbrite: MAY DAY FESTIVAL at The Engine Room Tickets, Saturday 2 May • 12 – 21 | Eventbrite
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