What's on in Merseyside

The metropolitan county of Merseyside is inevitably defined by the world famous city at its heart, but it is actually a larger area than just Liverpool. Merseyside covers the metropolitan area on both banks of the Mersey and the five boroughs of Liverpool city, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens and Knowsley. It spans over 250 square miles and borders the Irish Sea is to the west, Cheshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the east and Lancashire to the north.

The landscape is almost entirely urban although there are pockets of natural beauty that break up the sprawl. The Wirral Peninsula is a fascinating and varied area, for example, with the eastern side having been industrialized for ship building in the 19th century and still industrial to this day, whilst the inland area of the peninsula offers some startling areas of natural beauty, consisting of country parks, rustic villages, hiking and biking trails and over 75 miles of rights of way.

There are also beaches at Hoylake and West Kirby and the Neston Botanic gardens are worth a visit too. North of Liverpool in Prescot there is the wonderful Knowsley Safari Park, on the Knowsley Estate and in Sefton to the north there are 22 miles of sand dunes and an abundance of bird and wildlife. Lastly, there is Southport, a famous resort with endless sandy beaches and Royal Birkdale, a championship golf course.

That said however, Merseyside is still about Liverpool, famous the world over for the Kop, the Beatles and the music scene, the waterfront and docks (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the wonderful sense of humor of the locals. Recently declared a European Capital of Culture, Liverpool has been on the up for years now and its mix of architecture (from classical to modern new buildings), its nightlife and music scene and the new museums and galleries all make for a wonderful city. From the neo-Gothic Cathedral to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, and from Tate Liverpool to the Merseyside Museum there’s enough to keep you busy for days.

Chinese State Circus

From the land of legends and warrior Shaolin monks comes the incredible new Chinese State Circus production - the live acrobatic spectacular Yin Yang. To say the Chinese State Circus is merely a show is grossly to underestimate it; it is the embodiment of a traditional art form which can trace its history back over 2000 years. The presentation lives and breathes with the enthusiasm of its acrobatic artistes. The result is the purest, honest, most abiding and exhilarating circus that is a true privilege to see.…

Skrillex

Skrillex is an electronic dance music producer also known as Sonny Moore and has been previously known on the internet as Twipx. Skrillex is from LA in California and is the former frontman from an American band called The First To last. He began performing in clubs in LA in 2007. Skrillex embarked on his first solo tour, Team Sleep Tour with Team Sleep, Strata and the Monster in the Machine. He then toured North America on the Alternative Press Tour supporting bands including All Time Low and The Rocket Summer. Moore has also appeared on the cover of Alternative Press in the 100 Bands You Nee…

English singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist 'Paul Carrack' has seen major music success as a band member and solo performer since the 1970s. Playing with 'Ace', 'Roxy Music' 'Squeeze', 'Mike and the Mechanics' he has also released 15 solo albums between 1980 and 2010. His latest release was 'A Different Hat' which featured his solo performance alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.…

Olly Murs

Achieving second place on ITV's The X Factor in 2009, Olly Murs debut single named Please Don't Let Me Go' hit the top spot on the UK's Singles Chart, and his second single Thinking of Me reached number four. Of Latvian descent, Olly signed a joint deal between Epic Records and Syco Music in 2010, and will shortly be co-presenting the eighth series of The Xtra Factor, the companion show to the X Factor.…

Don't miss The Wanted as they embark on their first UK tour. Hear all the hits from their self titled debut album including the Number 1 charting, All Time Low…

Joan Baez

Having completed an outstanding tour of the US in 2011, Joan Baez is ready to embark on a twenty-one date tour of the United Kingdom, before heading to Germany and France in the latter days of spring. Known for her gutsy vocal style, she began her career over 50 years ago by introducing folk music into the popular rock scene of the 60's. She is well-known not only for her heady music and songwriting but also for her participation as an activist for peace and justice for all mankind. Her desire to bring attention to the unfair conditions some people have to endure also began in the 60's. Ov…

Australian Pink Floyd is the band to see when it comes to Pink Floyd tributes. More than just an average cover band, Aussie Pink Floyd meticulously strives to recreate the ground-breaking work of the iconic band and put on mind-blowing live stage shows. Lasers, lights, on-screen visuals, and huge inflatables give lucky audience members a chance to really feel like they're at an authentic Pink Floyd concert. In 2011 they became the first band to debut a new stereoscopic 3D element as part of their show and 2012 is sure to bring more jaw-dropping innovations to the delight of their large fan bas…

Sarah Millican

Sarah Millican is a successful English stand-up comedienne from South Shields. Her profile on the comedy scene first increased after winning the 'if.comedy award' in 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is now a regular and popular addition to many a TV show such as 'Have I Got News For You', '8 Out of Ten Cats', 'Mock the Week' etc and has recently been a celebrity guest panellist on 'Loose Women'. She releases her 'Live' DVD in 2011 and has completed three live tours, the latest of which was her 'Chatterbox' tour in 2010.…

The Stranglers

The Stranglers are pleased to announce a full UK tour in March 2012, the band have been busy in the studio writing and recording their seventeenth studio album which is due for release next year. First forming in 1974 the band's straight talking approach gave them the reputation as aggressive and confrontational with their notoriety later embraced by the punk movement of 77. The tour celebrates the 35th anniversary of the initial release and success of debut single 'Grip' and their legendary first album Rattus Norvegicus.…

Spaghetti Western Orchestra

Armed with over 100 instruments, these brilliant musicians perform a fistful of Ennio Morricone classics from the movies that made Clint Eastwood a star. The stunning soundtracks include The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, For A Few Dollars More and Once Upon a Time in The West. This ingenious gang of comic maestros underscore these iconic compositions with hilarious sound effects... blowing on bottles, crushing cornflakes, 'playing' coathangers, apples, squeaky toys, rubbergloves, bicycle pumps, nailclippers and many more - recreating every punch up, gunshot, and jangling spur that define the …