Hope Street’s Arts Bar Reopens as Revamped Artie’s, Liverpool 2026

Key Points

• Artie’s Bar Liverpool has opened at Hope Street, after shutting down near the end of July because of renovations.
• Previously named Arts Bar, the venue now has a new name – Artie’s.
• Owners Jordan Bucknall, Alex Medlicott, Tom Wilson and Ben Cosgrove continue to have their stake in the venture.
• The revamped bar comes with a relocated counter, more space for patrons and a huge mural that draws inspiration from the venue’s old branding.
• Roisin Quinn, interior designer, was responsible for redesigning the venue after she was asked by the owners.
• In 2024, Quinn was crowned winner of BBC’s Interior Design Masters.
• According to the business, the name Artie’s is in recognition of the bar’s former identity while looking forward.
• Future plans will see the opening of a DJ booth, better sound system, more DJs, live bands and night time entertainment.
• Food and drinks will soon be added to the menu.
• Artie’s is part of a larger Arts Bar business venture that has a second branch at Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 11, 2026 – Artie’s Bar has reopened on Hope Street following several weeks of closure and renovation work, introducing a redesigned interior, a new name and plans for expanded entertainment.

The city-centre venue was previously known as Arts Bar. It closed towards the end of July before welcoming customers back on Friday, September 11, with changes intended to give the site a new identity while retaining links to its original concept.

The reopening was reported by the Liverpool Echo in an article titled “Inside Hope Street bar that’s back with new lease of life”. The report included photographs showing the updated venue and described the changes made during the closure.

The bar is owned by Jordan Bucknall, Alex Medlicott, Tom Wilson and Ben Cosgrove. The ownership team worked with their friend Roisin Quinn on the redesign.

Why has the Hope Street venue been renamed?

The venue has been renamed Artie’s as a reference to its former name, Arts Bar. Jordan Bucknall told the Liverpool Echo that the owners wanted the new name to acknowledge the bar’s earlier identity rather than abandon it completely.

According to Bucknall, the owners considered hundreds of possible names before choosing Artie’s. He said the name was intended to have a New York-style feel and described it as a “tip of the hat” to Arts Bar.

“We wanted to go with a bit of a New York style name,” Bucknall told the Liverpool Echo. “We wanted to do Artie’s as a bit of a homage to the Arts Bar because we didn’t want to leave that behind. We wanted to evolve from it.”

The change therefore represents a reworking of the venue rather than a complete break with the business’s history. The name keeps a connection with Arts Bar while allowing the Hope Street site to develop a separate identity.

What does the redesigned bar look like?

The interior has been substantially changed during the closure. The bar has been repositioned, creating a different layout from the previous arrangement. The venue also has more seating and a large mural inspired by the original branding.

The mural extends across a wall and the ceiling, making it one of the most prominent visual features of the redesigned space. The changes were intended to alter the way customers move through and use the venue.

The renovation involved a wide range of work. Quinn told the Liverpool Echo that the team had been involved in upholstering, painting, spraying, tiling, building and moving the bar. She also said that walls had been built as part of the work.

Quinn described the renovation process as intensive and said she had identified problems in the space when she first visited. Her involvement began after Tom Wilson contacted her and asked whether she would consider designing the bar.

She told the Liverpool Echo: “I came to the space, sat in it, and I could see where some issues lay really. It just spiralled and went from there.”

Quinn added: “The days have been crazy. We’ve been upholstering, we’ve been painting, we’ve been spraying, we’ve been tiling very badly. We’ve been building and moved the whole bar, built up walls. We’ve done literally everything you could do.”

Who designed the new Artie’s interior?

Roisin Quinn was involved in the design of the refurbished Hope Street bar. She is a friend of the four owners, whom she met while studying drama at Liverpool John Moores University around 15 years ago.

The connection between Quinn and the owners dates back to their time at university. The Liverpool Echo reported that Quinn chose construction as an additional subject during her course. As part of that work, she built a bar for Wilson’s third-year show.

In 2024, Quinn won the BBC programme Interior Design Masters. Her later work on the Hope Street venue brought that earlier university connection into the redevelopment of a permanent bar in Liverpool city centre.

The project involved both design and construction work. The redesign was not limited to decorative changes, as the owners and Quinn altered the layout, moved the bar, constructed walls and added new seating.

What entertainment will Artie’s offer?

Artie’s is expected to introduce a stronger focus on evening entertainment. Bucknall told the Liverpool Echo that the venue would include a DJ booth and a new sound system.

The owners also plan to host more DJs, bands and entertainment throughout the night. Bucknall said the intention was to keep the venue fun and lively while giving it a clearer identity within the Hope Street area.

“We want more DJ, more bands, and entertainment throughout the night,” he told the newspaper.

The venue is also expected to add new food and drinks options over the next few weeks. Details of the planned menu and drinks range were not included in the report, so the full offering had not been announced at the time of publication.

The planned changes mean the reopened bar will combine its existing role as a drinks and social venue with a greater emphasis on music and live entertainment. The DJ booth and sound system are among the physical changes supporting that approach.

How does Artie’s fit into the wider business?

Arts Bar first opened in July 2019. According to the Liverpool Echo, it was established with the aim of giving local creatives a platform to showcase and celebrate their work.

The Hope Street venue has therefore operated as more than a conventional bar. Its original concept was linked to local creativity and providing space for artists and creative communities.

In 2023, the business launched a second venue called Arts Bar Baltic. That site is located on Parliament Street in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.

The Hope Street venue will now operate under the Artie’s name, while the Baltic Triangle site was identified in the report as the company’s second location. The reopening adds a new stage to the development of the business, with the original venue receiving a new layout, name and entertainment plans.

The change also reflects the separate character of Liverpool’s central neighbourhoods. The owners said they wanted the Hope Street venue to work with the development of the surrounding area and establish its own identity.

What did the owners say about Hope Street?

Bucknall said the owners wanted Artie’s to remain a lively venue while becoming part of the changing character of the area.

“This end of town is getting so much better and there’s more and new exciting venues opening,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “We want to join with this area of town and make it its own identity up here.”

His comments linked the reopening to the wider growth of hospitality and entertainment venues around Hope Street and the city centre. However, the report did not provide figures about customer numbers, investment costs or the expected economic impact of the refurbishment.

The owners’ stated aim is to create a venue that remains accessible for people seeking an informal night out while increasing its programme of music and entertainment. The design changes are intended to support that use by providing more seating and a different layout.

When did Artie’s Bar reopen?

Artie’s reopened to customers on Friday, September 11, 2026, after being closed for several weeks. The closure began towards the end of July, according to the Liverpool Echo report.

The reopening followed a period of renovation that included structural, decorative and operational changes. The venue’s return gives customers the opportunity to see the new interior and experience the revised branding.

The exact length of the closure was not specified beyond the report’s reference to several weeks. The newspaper’s coverage focused on the reopening, the interior redesign and the plans for the venue’s future entertainment programme.

What will happen next at Artie’s?

The next stage for Artie’s will involve introducing its new food and drinks options. The owners said these would be added over the following weeks, although no full details were available in the published report.

The venue is also expected to develop its entertainment schedule. Plans mentioned by Bucknall include more DJs, bands and evening entertainment, supported by a new DJ booth and sound system.

The reopening marks the beginning of the venue’s new phase rather than the completion of every planned change. Some features are already in place, including the redesigned interior and repositioned bar, while other elements, such as the new food and drinks offering, are expected later.

Customers will therefore see the venue evolve further after its initial reopening. The owners’ comments indicate that the business intends to build on the new identity while retaining the social and creative character associated with Arts Bar.

What is the background to Arts Bar and Artie’s?

Arts Bar opened in Liverpool in July 2019 with the stated aim of supporting local creatives and celebrating their work. The business later expanded with the opening of Arts Bar Baltic in the Baltic Triangle in 2023.

The Hope Street site has now been renamed Artie’s after a period of closure and refurbishment. The new name was chosen to preserve a connection with Arts Bar while giving the original site a refreshed identity.

The redevelopment was carried out by the owners with assistance from Quinn, their former university friend. Her background includes construction studies and winning Interior Design Masters in 2024.

The new venue combines changes to the physical space with a revised entertainment plan. Its redesigned interior includes a large mural, a repositioned bar and more seating, while future plans include additional music, live bands and new food and drinks.

How could the reopening affect Hope Street customers?

The reopening could give Hope Street customers another venue offering drinks, food, DJs, live bands and evening entertainment. The immediate effect will be the return of a familiar business under a new name and with a different interior layout.

Customers who previously visited Arts Bar may notice changes in the branding, seating, bar position and overall design. The Artie’s name is intended to maintain a link with the former venue, but the owners have indicated that the programme and atmosphere will develop further.

For people interested in Liverpool’s creative and entertainment scene, the venue’s original purpose remains relevant because the business was established to support local creatives. The planned music programme may also broaden its appeal to customers looking for nightlife and live performances.

The longer-term effect will depend on how the new food and drinks range is received, how regularly entertainment is scheduled and how Artie’s establishes itself alongside other venues in the area. At this stage, the available report confirms the reopening and announced plans but does not provide evidence about future attendance or commercial performance.