Coronation weekend & Eurovision in Liverpool: family events guide

May 2023 is a bumper month for family events: after the King's Coronation weekend, Eurovision arrives in Liverpool with free fan zones, music and waterfront celebrations. The Coronation of King Charles III on 6 May brought bunting, street parties and an extra bank holiday. Now attention turns to the grand final on 13 May, hosted in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine. Here is what to do with kids during Eurovision week, plus easy alternatives if the crowds get too much.

What's on: from the Coronation to Eurovision week

The Coronation weekend is over, but Liverpool's Eurovision celebrations run all week, with free family-friendly events in the city centre. The King was crowned on Saturday 6 May. Sunday was a day of street parties and the Coronation Big Lunch, and Monday's bank holiday was the Big Help Out, when many families volunteered locally.

In Liverpool, the city's cultural festival and fan events fill the waterfront and city centre around the semi-finals and the final on Saturday 13 May. Most outdoor fan events are free, while tickets for the live shows sold out long ago. Visit Liverpool lists the official events and travel advice.

Price per person: £ = under about £10, ££ = about £10–£25, £££ = over £25. Rough guide only, prices change.

Check opening hours and prices on the official website before you go, as some venues may run longer or busier hours this week.

See family attractions in Liverpool on the Kid.ooo map

What's in it for kids by age

Little ones will love the colour, flags and music; older children get swept up in the voting, the costumes and the countries.

• Under fives: short daytime visits to the waterfront, plus a museum break for naps and snacks.
• Ages five to ten: making flags, learning a song in another language and spotting different countries' fans.
• Ages ten and up: a fan zone screening (with an adult) and a visit to The Beatles Story to see how Liverpool became a music city.

Top family events and attractions in Liverpool

Liverpool's free national museums make it one of the best cities in the UK for a budget day out with kids.

The Museum of Liverpool on the waterfront has a play gallery for under-sixes and plenty of hands-on displays. Next door at the Royal Albert Dock, the Merseyside Maritime Museum tells stories of ships, sailors and the Titanic.

Up by Lime Street station, World Museum has dinosaurs, a bug house, an aquarium and a planetarium. For music-mad children, The Beatles Story at the Albert Dock is the perfect warm-up for Eurovision night.

Practical tips: parking, prams and baby change

Leave the car at home if you can: trains and buses into Liverpool are easier than city-centre parking in Eurovision week.

• Getting there: Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Central and James Street stations are all within walking distance of the waterfront.
• Prams: the waterfront and museums are flat and step-free, but crowds can make pushchairs slow, so a carrier helps for babies.
• Baby change: all the national museums have baby change and family toilets.
• Safety: agree a meeting point, write your phone number on a wristband and dress kids in bright colours.

Where to eat nearby

The Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE have plenty of family-friendly cafés and chain restaurants within a short walk. The museums have their own cafés, which are handy for a quick lunch. With crowds expected, packing a picnic for the waterfront is a smart plan.

Kid-friendly cafés and restaurants near the waterfront are on the Kid.ooo map. For family life and twin-mum tips, take a look at @girl_twin_mum_plus_one on Instagram.

Alternatives if it's busy

If the city centre is too crowded, host your own Eurovision party at home or pick a calmer day out nearby. Children can make flags, score the songs and dress up in sequins for the Saturday night show.

For a quieter weekend, try a castle or farm from our Easter egg hunt trails guide, many of which run spring events too. Or plan a short break from our list of family city breaks by train, which also covers Liverpool.

More family events on the Kid.ooo map

Kid.ooo is a free family days out map, built by parents who know where children have the best time. Use it to find things to do with kids near me, from free museums to playgrounds near me and cafés with high chairs, wherever you are this May.

Explore Liverpool attractions on the Kid.ooo map

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