Key Points
- We Are Wirral Festival is taking place in Birkenhead Park over two days, on Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, 2026.
- Live music runs from midday until 10 pm each day, with gates opening from 11 am according to festival information.
- Saturday’s main line-up includes The Coral, Lottery Winners, Hard-Fi, Craig Charles, Lucy Spraggan, Thrill Collins and Bronnie.
- Sunday’s line-up includes Tinie Tempah, Sigala, Jaguar Skills, Chesney Hawkes, Dick & Dom, Women in Rock and Deco.
- The festival also offers family attractions including a circus, arcades, tree climbing, a traditional funfair, food and drink stalls, and an Acoustic Live Lounge.
- Festival coverage published on July 18 described visitors enjoying performances and exploring the site as the event got under way.
- Craig Charles was reported to have pulled out of the festival shortly before the event, with coverage noting he had been due to appear on Saturday’s bill.
Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) July 18, 2026. We Are Wirral Festival has opened in uk/local/birkenhead/">Birkenhead Park for a weekend of live music, family entertainment and festival activities, with organisers staging performances across Saturday and Sunday and crowds beginning to arrive for the two-day event.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo in its July 18 photo gallery, the festival is bringing a packed programme of music and attractions to the park, while visitors are also being offered circus acts, arcade-style entertainment, tree climbing, a funfair, and food and drink options.
According to festival listings and coverage from local titles, the event runs from 11 am to 10 pm each day, with live music beginning at midday and continuing through the evening.
The Saturday bill is led by The Coral, the Wirral band set for a homecoming performance, and also includes Lottery Winners, Hard-Fi, Craig Charles, Lucy Spraggan, Thrill Collins and Bronnie.
Sunday’s programme is headlined by Tinie Tempah, with Sigala, Jaguar Skills, Chesney Hawkes, Dick & Dom, Women in Rock and Deco also listed to perform.
The festival’s Acoustic Live Lounge adds another stage for additional acts, broadening the weekend beyond the main bill and giving the event a more family-oriented feel.
What happened to Craig Charles?
Craig Charles was reported to have withdrawn from the festival at short notice, with local coverage saying he had been due to appear as one of Saturday’s main names.
Wirral Globe reported that the Liverpool DJ would no longer perform because of “unforeseen” circumstances, while the Liverpool Echo also carried a report that the headliner had pulled out less than 24 hours before the event was due to begin.
That change leaves the Saturday line-up centred on The Coral and the remaining acts already announced for the day.
Why does the festival matter locally?
We Are Wirral is being presented by organisers as a major family music event for the peninsula, and one of the main draws is the mix of established performers and local talent in a park setting.
The festival also places Birkenhead Park at the centre of weekend visitor activity, which can support local footfall for surrounding businesses, including food outlets, transport services and nearby hospitality providers.
Coverage from the Liverpool Echo shows the event is already attracting festivalgoers enjoying performances and exploring the site, suggesting the festival is functioning both as a music event and a local outing.
What is the festival offering besides music?
The event is not limited to the main stage, with listings highlighting a broader entertainment village-style set-up.
Festivalgoers can also find a circus, interactive arcade-style games, tree climbing, a funfair and a range of food and drink stalls across the site.
That wider programme makes the festival relevant to families as well as people attending primarily for the headline acts, and it helps explain why organisers are describing it as a two-day celebration rather than just a concert bill.
Background of the development
We Are Wirral returned to Birkenhead Park in 2026 as a second-year festival following its earlier launch, with organisers promoting it as a major live music gathering for the area.
The line-up was announced in March, and later coverage across local and regional outlets built interest in the event by highlighting the headliners, the family attractions and the weekend timetable.
The festival’s structure — one day led by The Coral and another by Tinie Tempah — reflects an effort to combine regional appeal with nationally known names.
What is the outlook for visitors?
For festivalgoers, the immediate impact is a weekend of live music and family entertainment spread across two days in Birkenhead Park.
For local audiences, the event is likely to bring increased park activity, heavier visitor traffic and stronger attention on Wirral’s cultural calendar during the summer.
If attendance remains strong, the festival could further establish Birkenhead Park as a regular venue for large-scale community and music events in future years.
