Digz’n Lidz RC Experience Cafe Set to Open in Southport 2026

Key Points

• Digz’n Lidz Southport will be opened on 2nd September 2026.
• This attraction will be based in the former Debenhams building at Southport.
• This new attraction will incorporate remote control digger play and a cafe.
• This will be an attraction which aims to provide leisure for families in the center of the town.
• This opening is a part of wider investment and regeneration of Lord Street.
• Construction work is going on in this building before its opening.
• Further information regarding this attraction will be provided later by the firm.

Southport (Liverpool standard) August 18, 2026 – A new remote-controlled digger experience café will open in the former Debenhams building on 2 September 2026, according to Explore Liverpool. The venue is expected to provide visitors with an indoor activity centred on operating miniature construction vehicles, alongside café facilities. (Source: Explore Liverpool.)

The announcement introduces a new leisure business to uk/local/southport/">Southport town centre at a time when the former Debenhams site is being repurposed for new uses. Digz’n Lidz is designed to combine interactive play with food and drink, creating an experience aimed primarily at families and visitors seeking an activity in the town centre.

Explore Liverpool’s report identifies the opening date but does not provide a full schedule of sessions, admission prices, menu details or booking arrangements. Those details may be released by the operator before the venue opens.

When will Digz’n Lidz open in Southport?

Digz’n Lidz is scheduled to open on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. The date was reported by Explore Liverpool in an article published on August 18, 2026.

The confirmed date means the venue is expected to welcome customers during the early autumn period, when indoor attractions can provide an alternative to outdoor activities. The opening will also give local residents and visitors another reason to visit the former Debenhams building and the surrounding Lord Street area.

At the time of the announcement, the available report did not state whether the opening would involve a formal launch event, special introductory offers or advance booking arrangements.

Where will the new experience café be located?

Digz’n Lidz will be based in Southport’s former Debenhams building. The premises are located in the town centre, within the wider Lord Street area.

The use of the former department-store building reflects the continuing change in the role of large town-centre premises. Rather than remaining vacant, the building is being used for a new visitor-oriented business that combines entertainment and hospitality.

The exact internal layout of the venue has not been fully detailed in the available coverage. However, the attraction’s name and description indicate that the site will include a dedicated remote-controlled digger experience and café facilities.

What will visitors be able to do at Digz’n Lidz?

Digz’n Lidz is described as a remote-controlled digger experience café. Visitors will be able to take part in an activity involving remote-controlled construction vehicles, with the café element providing food and drink as part of the visit.

The concept is distinct from a conventional café because the main attraction is an interactive experience. Customers are expected to spend part of their visit operating remote-controlled diggers rather than simply dining or watching a performance.

The available report does not confirm the types of vehicles, the duration of each session, the minimum age for participants or whether adults will be able to take part alongside children. It also does not confirm whether customers will need to reserve an experience separately from purchasing food and drink.

Those operational details will be important for families planning a visit, particularly in relation to age limits, session availability, accessibility and pricing.

Why is the opening significant for Southport town centre?

The opening will add a new family leisure attraction to Southport’s town centre. It will also bring activity to a former major retail premises that previously operated as a Debenhams department store.

Explore Liverpool previously reported in July 2026 that work was under way inside the venue and that an opening date was expected to be announced. That earlier report linked the development with wider investment across Lord Street.

The conversion of a former department-store location into an experience-led business reflects broader changes in town-centre use. Retail buildings that once depended mainly on large-scale shopping are increasingly being adapted for hospitality, entertainment, leisure and visitor attractions.

For Southport, the venue could provide an additional indoor destination for families, particularly visitors already spending time in the town centre. Its location may also allow customers to combine the experience with shopping, dining or visits to other local attractions.

The opening’s wider economic effect cannot yet be measured. Factors such as visitor numbers, staffing levels, trading hours, repeat bookings and the performance of nearby businesses will determine how significant the venue becomes for the local area.

What is known about the café facilities?

The venue has been described as a café as well as a remote-controlled digger attraction. This suggests that customers may be able to eat or drink during their visit, although the available coverage does not specify the menu or the café’s operating arrangements.

No details have been confirmed in the cited report about whether the café will be open to customers who are not taking part in the digger experience. It is also not clear whether visitors will need to book a table, reserve a play session or follow a combined experience-and-refreshment package.

The business may publish further information before the opening date. Customers should check official Digz’n Lidz announcements for confirmed prices, opening hours and booking instructions rather than relying on informal listings.

Who is the attraction expected to serve?

The concept is likely to appeal chiefly to families with children, given the combination of construction-themed play and café facilities. It may also attract visitors interested in unusual indoor activities and people looking for a casual town-centre experience.

The available reporting does not state the attraction’s intended age range. As a result, it would be premature to describe it as suitable for a particular age group without official confirmation from the operator.

Parents and carers may want to check supervision rules, height or age requirements, session lengths and safety information before visiting. These conditions can affect whether younger children, older children or adults can participate.

Accessibility information has also not been included in the reported announcement. Details about step-free access, accessible toilets, seating and participation arrangements would help visitors plan their visit.

What has not yet been announced?

The opening date is confirmed in the available report, but several practical details remain outstanding.

These include:

• The venue’s daily opening hours.
• The cost of taking part.
• Whether advance booking will be required.
• The duration and format of each session.
• The age or height requirements.
• The full café menu.
• Whether special launch events or introductory offers will be available.
• The number of people who can participate in each session.
• Accessibility arrangements.
• Parking and transport guidance for visitors.

The absence of these details does not alter the announced opening date, but it means customers do not yet have enough information to plan a complete visit.

How does the announcement fit the earlier development?

The opening date follows an earlier report that construction or preparation work was taking place inside the former Debenhams building. Explore Liverpool reported on July 23, 2026, that the new venue was being developed and that an opening date was expected to be confirmed.

The latest announcement therefore represents a move from development activity to a scheduled public launch. It confirms that the project has progressed sufficiently for the operator to identify a specific opening day.

The two reports together establish the main timeline currently available: work was under way in July, and the venue is planned to open on September 2.

What should visitors do before attending?

Visitors should wait for official information about booking, prices and opening hours before making firm arrangements. The reported opening date is clear, but the available source does not provide the full terms of entry.

Families may also need to confirm whether the café and the activity operate on the same timetable. If sessions are limited or advance reservations are required, arriving without a booking may not guarantee participation.

Checking the operator’s official channels close to the opening date will be particularly important for any changes, launch-day arrangements or temporary restrictions.

Background: How the former Debenhams site is being reused

Debenhams was formerly a major department-store brand with a large presence in town centres across the United Kingdom. The closure of its stores left substantial premises that many local authorities and property owners have sought to repurpose.

In Southport, the former Debenhams building is now becoming the home of Digz’n Lidz, a business combining a remote-controlled digger activity with café facilities. Explore Liverpool’s July report described the project as part of wider investment across Lord Street, while its August report confirmed the September opening date.

The development is significant because it places an experience-led attraction in a building previously associated with traditional retail. The change illustrates how town-centre properties can be adapted to support leisure and hospitality businesses as shopping habits evolve.

However, the long-term contribution of the venue will depend on its ability to attract regular customers, maintain trading throughout the year and operate alongside other businesses in the town centre. The available reporting does not yet include employment figures, investment values or projected visitor numbers.

Prediction: How could Digz’n Lidz affect Southport families?

Digz’n Lidz could give families in Southport and visitors to the town an additional indoor activity, particularly during poor weather or school holidays. Its combination of hands-on play and café facilities may encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre than they would at a standalone attraction.

The venue could also benefit nearby retailers, cafés and other leisure businesses if visitors combine a Digz’n Lidz trip with other activities around Lord Street. That effect is likely to depend on the attraction’s pricing, opening hours, capacity and ability to generate repeat visits.

For families, the most immediate impact will be the availability of a new activity in a central location. The experience may be especially attractive to children interested in construction vehicles, but its wider appeal will become clearer only after the operator publishes age guidance, session information and prices.

The prediction remains conditional because the available coverage does not yet provide visitor forecasts or confirmed operating details. The announced opening on 2 September 2026 establishes the launch date, while the attraction’s longer-term effect on families and the town centre will depend on how the venue performs after opening.