Tate Liverpool to host final party ahead of closure for major refurbishment

Tate Liverpool is preparing to close its doors in just a few days time for a major transformation.

The iconic Tate building at the Royal Albert Dock will be closed from October 16 for a near £30 million refurbishment, and is not expected to reopen until 2025. £10m has been provided from the government’s Levelling Up Fund and new features could include an events space, new gallery spaces and an Art Hall.

Giving visitors a last chance to see the building in its current form, Tate Liverpool will host a huge celebration the weekend before the closure, filled with freebies and fun.

Goodbye party: On October 14 and 15, Tate Liverpool: Past, Present and Future will be include making activities for all ages, talks, music and a chance to leave for visitors to leave their own mark on the walls through a graffiti workshop. People will be invited to join local graffiti artists to tag, paint and write the personal comments on the fourth floor of the gallery in a collaborative, communal mural that evokes the memory of past pop and street art exhibitions.

Throughout both days, there will also be three different making activities for visitors to enjoy and have something to take away from the event, including a free mini placard making workshop, t-shirt customising workshops and the chance to create teapot lids for topless Tate café teapots in an air-dry clay workshop.

Visitors will be able to take away a specially commissioned, limited edition party bag with artist made prints and postcards, as well as seeds to grow along with Tate Liverpool during its closure period.

A series of live performances by local musicians, artist DJs and choirs will also take place, as well as tours and the chance to explore four free displays.

Temporary location: Although the building at the Royal Albert Dock will be closed for the transformation work from October 16, art lovers will still be able to experience some of the gallery’s wonders, as Tate Liverpool will move into the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) North on Mann Island, from October 27.