Guide to the biggest live gigs and festivals happening in Liverpool this summer

Liverpool is a UNESCO City of Music, famous for its Mersey Beat and for those four lads who changed music forever - but that is not all. There are music events in Liverpool every day and we have your summer gig guide right here.

🏟️ Global superstar Taylor Swift brings The Eras Tour to Liverpool this summer. More than 150,000 Swifties will descend on the city for her three shows at Anfield stadium on June 13, 14 and 15. Liverpool will also be transformed into ‘Taylor Town’ for the event.

🌍 The Africa Oyé Festival - the largest celebration of live African music in the UK -  will be back at Sefton Park, Liverpool, on July 22 and 23. Originally a smaller, multi-venue event, Oyé now attracts over fifty thousand people and is free.

🕺🏿 Legendary Grammy Award-winning funk and soul band Kool & The Gang are headlining at the M&S Bank Arena on Friday, 26th July. Joining them as special guests will be Liverpool's soul legends, The Real Thing. Celebrating their 60th anniversary, Kool & The Gang have performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history.

🏞️ In the Park Festival takes place at Liverpool's Sefton Park this July. Catfish and the Bottlemen are headlining on Thursday July 11, and Jamie Webster is playing on Friday the 12th alongside special guests, Red Rum Club. Cream Classical will be taking over on Saturday July 13. Along with a full day of music and entertainment, there will be an array of food and drink concessions around the festival site.

🏳️‍🌈 Katrina, formerly of Katrina and the Waves, is this year's headline act at Pride in Liverpool. The former Eurovision winner will be on the main stage – which is returning to the world-famous Liverpool Waterfront – on Saturday, 27th July. Known for hits including Walking on Sunshine and Going Down to Liverpool.

🍻 Taking place across the August Bank Holiday, Liverpool Celebrates Mathew Street Festival will commemorate the ten year anniversary of the last Mathew Street Festival with dozens of acts over the four-day music extravaganza. With acts such as Holly Johnson, the Lightning Seeds, China Crisis and The Jacksons.

🎸 International Beatleweek Festival is back in the city from Wednesday August 21 until Tuesday August 27. The annual event celebrates the music of the most famous pop group the world has ever known, The Beatles, in the city where it all began, Liverpool.

There is so much to do and see that you don't need to be a Beatle fan to enjoy the festival, though it probably helps! This is truly an international event with 70 bands from over 20 countries and fans from over 40.

Live music is the focus of International Beatleweek. Not only is there live music on the Cavern's three stages all day, every day (with a different band on every hour), but they're taking over various venues across the city and beyond.