Week-long festival of sport and culture for city

Liverpool is set to host a ground-breaking international inclusive sport and culture event in a UK-first.

The Inclusive Sport & Culture Festival (ISCF) will bring together elite athletes who compete in the Paralympics and a world class disabled-led arts and culture programme, organiser said.

Four international competitions - including the ball sport boccia, para athletics, wheelchair rugby and paracanoe - will take place alongside an arts and cultural programme led by deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists.

The week-long festival in May 2027 "will transform the city into a vibrant hub of energy, creativity and elite performance", organisers said.

Events will take place at the M&S Bank Arena and Exhibition Centre, Salthouse Dock, Albert Dock and the Pier Head between 2 - 8 May 2027, and the festival will also feature an Athletes' and Artists' Village.

The y will also play a vital role in athlete preparation ahead of the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

Five times Paralympic medallist and 12 times Paracanoe World Champion Emma Wiggs MBE said: "It has never been more important to embrace diversity and difference and to grasp opportunities to showcase a more inclusive world.

She described the event in Liverpool as "trailblazing", adding it would "set the standard for others to follow".

The event is funded by £2.3m National Lottery money and a £1m grant from Arts Council England and is delivered in partnership with UK Sport, ParalympicsGB, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Accommodation BID.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said the event "will celebrate excellence, identity, and connection - bringing together athletes, artists, and audiences, in a truly accessible and inclusive way".

"We are well-known for our track record of delivering world-class events in Liverpool, and we are set to make history once again with this festival as the first event of its kind in the UK," he said.

Esther Britten, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport: said: "We're proud to be bringing this new festival to Liverpool, creating a unique multi-sport platform for world-class Paralympic sport and a bold, disabled-led cultural programme."

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: "Our country is home to brilliant, awe-inspiring world-beating disabled artists and athletes.

"This major investment will shine a light on their creative and sporting excellence, boosting national pride and inspiring the next generation of outstanding performers, whether that's in the arts or in sport."

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