Liverpool’s historic waterfront will host a new inclusive sport and culture event in May 2027, bringing together international athletes and artists in a new festival of unity, sport and creativity.

Delivered by UKEL, a new, independent company established to host and deliver major international sporting events in the UK, the original para sport event concept was a commitment made in UK Sport’s major events strategy Making Live Sport Matter to showcase elite sport competition, drive performance benefits and deliver lasting social impact across Liverpool.

The announcement comes after the unveiling of a new strategy aimed at making the Liverpool City Region the UK’s leading destination for international events. In an historic announcement last month, Tour de France organisers announced that the region will welcome the finish of stage two of the men’s race in 2027.

Arts Council England is partnering with the para sport event to enable the festival to feature exciting work by leading disabled and neurodivergent artists. The festival will be delivered in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and features an exciting week-long line-up of four international sport competitions, ahead of the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

Integrated into the heart of the event will be a sport participation and cultural programme led by deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists – showcasing creativity, talent, and diverse perspectives through performances, exhibitions, and collaborative experiences.

The city of Liverpool will provide the backdrop and will include venues such as the M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and the Pier Head.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:

“We’re delighted to be hosting such an important and empowering event in our city – bringing together athletes, artists, and audiences, in a truly accessible and inclusive way.

“This is an innovative, ground-breaking concept and through working with UK Sport and our other partners, our vision is to create a pioneering and progressive sport and cultural event which delivers performance improvements and cultural excellence while amplifying visibility and opportunities for people with disabilities throughout our community and beyond.”

Recruitment for a specialist Stakeholder Board begins now to oversee the delivery of the strategic goals and objectives of the event.

This will be made up of representatives of Liverpool City Council, UK Sport, Arts Council England, and Paralympics GB, plus independent board members which will include an experienced para sport athlete, a disabled artist, and an independent chair.

In addition, recruitment commences for a Creative Producer to lead the artistic direction and delivery of the culture programme. Sitting on the stakeholder board, the successful applicant will shape a bold, inclusive and disability-led experience that intersects sport and culture whilst driving greater opportunity, representation, and lasting social impact for the disabled community.

The event funders include UK Sport, Arts Council England, Liverpool City Council, and Liverpool Accommodation Bid.

Esther Britten MBE, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, said:

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for para sport in the UK. We’re proud to be creating an event that brings elite competition and culture together, creating a powerful platform to celebrate Paralympic athletes and build momentum towards LA 2028.

“Liverpool has repeatedly proven itself to be an exceptional host city, delivering world-class events with energy and creativity. We’re looking forward to working with our partners to deliver an event that builds on the UK’s strong Paralympic legacy and reflects our ambition to create environments that support performance, inspire audiences and showcases inclusive sport at its very best. Further details on the sport programme will be confirmed in due course.”

Jen Cleary, Director North West and Combined Arts, Arts Council England, said:

“We’re excited to be collaborating on this new festival of unity, sport and creativity. Our investment will enable a substantial cultural programme led by deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists to sit at the heart of the event, giving festival audiences an opportunity to experience extraordinary artistic work alongside excellence in para sport.”

Bev Ward, COO at UKEL, said:

“UKEL is delighted to be chosen to deliver this event for UK Sport, Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council. This is a great opportunity to bring together elite artists and athletes over a week of incredible competition and performance, in the globally renowned events city of Liverpool.  UKEL’s talented team and partners will deliver a gold standard event for participants and spectators, and we’re glad to launch applications for the Stakeholder Board to oversee our exciting plans.”