Picturesque Port Sunlight Village will once again become a meeting place for poets, performers and poetry lovers this autumn as Wirral Poetry Festival returns on 3rd and 4th October, bringing the written and spoken word to one of the most beautiful settings on the Wirral.
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There can surely be few more fitting places for a poetry festival than Port Sunlight. With its tree-lined roads, historic architecture, sweeping lawns and intriguing corners, the iconic village has a distinctly poetic quality of its own. This October, those surroundings will once again provide the backdrop for Wirral Poetry Festival — a celebration of poetry, creativity and the pleasure of sharing words with others.
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The 2026 festival continues Wirral Poetry Festival’s mission of promoting poetry on the Wirral and beyond, bringing people together through readings, performances, workshops and opportunities to discover new voices. Whether you’re a lifelong poetry enthusiast, an occasional reader, an aspiring writer or someone who simply fancies experiencing something different, the festival is a must.
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The festival combines established and emerging poetic voices with community participation, offering everything from readings and book launches to poetry walks, workshops, children’s activities, open-mic opportunities and the energy of a live poetry slam. At its heart is Poetry on the Green, bringing performances by local poets into the open air beside the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
This year’s extravaganza once again features many free events to attend and enjoy. In addition to this, some big hitting ticketed events are taking place including — a Performing Poetry Workshop, Slam Night, Leigh Lawson Poetry Night, An Audience With Jennifer Lee Tsai and Cathy Galvin, An Audience With Zoe Brooks, Caroline Smith and Barry Woods and An Audience With Sarah James.
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On Saturday 3rd October at 5.30pm, acclaimed actor Leigh Lawson will share stories and poems from his collection Now and Then at Saturday 3 October, 5.30pm at Port Sunlight Church Hall (tickets just £6). Meanwhile, Cathy Galvin (Ethnology: A Love Song for Connemara) and Jennnifer Lee Tsai (Melete) will read from their debut Bloodaxe Books collections at the same venue on Sunday 4th October at 7.30pm.
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Slam Night is always an incredible showcase of some of the region’s finest wordsmiths. Port Slam Night takes place on Saturday 3rd October at 7.30pm, again at Port Sunlight Church Hall. Tickets are just £6 and poets compete for the £100 prize! It’s an opportunity to witness some fantastic and diverse poetry and if you would like to take part please apply to enter on the Wirral Poetry Festival website.
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Wirral Poetry Festival’s Alison Schultz said: “Living in such a digital age, there’s never been a more important time to celebrate poetry and literacy, and there’s no better setting than Port Sunlight. We’re really excited for this year’s festival and as ever, there will be so much going on and something for everyone. Whether you’re a poetry enthusiast or just fancy something different, we look forward to welcoming you.”
Kemal Houghton added: “Poetry can be quiet and reflective or funny, challenging and exhilarating. It can live on the printed page or come alive when performed in front of an audience. Bringing those different forms into Port Sunlight allows visitors to experience a historic village not simply as somewhere to look back at the past, but as somewhere contemporary culture is being made.”
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For local writers, the festival offers opportunities to connect with a wider creative community. For visitors, it offers the chance to encounter poetry away from the classroom or bookshelf. And for Port Sunlight itself, the festival adds another layer to a place already associated with art, architecture and ambitious ideas about how surroundings can enrich people’s lives.
Wirral Poetry Festival 2026 / 3rd & 4th October 2026, 10.30am-7.30pm / Port Sunlight Village, Various Venues
