Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, "the longest running annual festival of Arab arts and culture in the UK," founded in 1998, returns for its 23rd year, running from 11 to 20 July 2025.
This year’s festival theme will be Nostalgia, which will be explored through music, theatre and performance, visual art, spoken word, literature and film.
The festival will open with Hamzeh Al Hussein's Penguin at the Unity Theatre on 11 July, with Good Chance's production of Elias Matar's A Grain of Sand حبة رمل at the same venue a week later.
The festival organisers said, "through our platform, LAAF celebrate the courage of Arab artists who document, challenge, and interpret change. Their voices are crucial. This year, we proudly present powerful works from across the Arab world including Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Egypt and many others. Giving space to stories that are often silenced, and emotions too deep for words, yet expressed through art. We also invite you to experience Arab cultures in all its richness with music, poetry, performance, and the unforgettable taste of our cuisine."