2026 is going to be a very exciting year for Southport with brilliant events and work starting on Southport Pier

SOUTHPORT is all set for its most exciting year in decades, with major new events, The Open Golf Championship, and huge investment in schemes including:- the restoration of the Town's historic Southport Pier. Silcock Leisure Group, 1 of the longest established family firms in Southport and 1 of the biggest local employers, is among those feeling positive about everything to come. 

Silcock Leisure Group Head of Operations Serena Silcock Prince said:- "2026 is going to be a very exciting year for everyone in Southport, and for everyone who visits!  We have a non-stop programme of events to look forward to from Southport Jazz Festival in January all the way through the Christmas and the new year.  We're all intrigued by the 4 major new events coming to Southport this year, Lightport, Cristal Palace, The Big Top; Festival and Books Alive.  They all sound very unique, magical and eye-catching, they're going to put Southport on the map in a big way and will attract so many people into our Town.  As a local family-run business, we're very keen to do all we can to work with Sefton Council, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Southport BID and others to make 2026 as successful as it can be.  The Open golf championship coming back to Royal Birkdale will bring visitors not just from the UK but from around the world to show off all the Southport has to offer, and why people should keep coming back!  There are lots of regular big events that people won't want to miss, with the likes of Southport Flower Show, Southport Air Show, Southport Comedy Festival, which are all such impressive days out.  We are honoured to be hosting the lunch and reception for Southport Armed Forces Festival once again this year, for a festival that continues to grow and develop every year.  Last year I was honoured to be invited to be a guest speaker at the International Women's Day event in Southport organised by Queenscourt Hospice, and I'm looking forward to attending as a guest this year.  Every year Silcock Leisure Group sponsors the amazing Southport Santa Sprint, another Queenscourt Hospice event, and we're all excited to see that coming back again too."

It's not just the new events that are giving cause for optimism. 

Serena Silcock Prince said:- "We can't wait to see work start on repairing Southport Pier. We've heard that work should start some time early this year, with a possibility of seeing Southport Pier reopening in 2027.  This time last year, we had hundreds of people packed in Silcock's Pier Restaurant as we hosted a public meeting about the future of the pier and what could be done to try and bring pressure to bear for its restoration.  That day, we could not have dreamed that the Government would come up with a pledge to provide up to £20 million for the repairs needed. That was a fantastic boost.  It showed the incredible community spirit that we have in Southport and how united we are in all wanting our pier to reopen, with Sefton Council, Southport MP Patrick Hurley, local families, local businesses, the Southport PierTrust and others all calling for the same thing. I'm looking to work also starting this year on the creation of the new Town Hall Gardens on Lord Street, being led by the incredible families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe, who continue to inspire us all with their selfless determination.  The new Marine Lake Events Centre will have a huge impact in Southport, and we're all looking forward to seeing progress on that scheme this year.  This is a year when we all need to get behind our Town.  We should all make a conscious effort to shop local more and support Southport businesses. It's very much a case of use it or lose it.  We have so many fabulous places, personally, I love the new:- Wine and Words by Watson, on Lord Street; the Clare Wright Art Gallery nearby is definitely worth a visit; the Grant Searl and The Northerner art gallery in Wayfarers Arcade is fabulous; Design by Gavriela inside Wayfarers Arcade is my favourite place for dresses. There are so many brilliant local independent businesses operating in Southport, we all need to support them and to shout about them more.  We are continuing to invest in making improvements at our venues too.  Our new Balcony Bar at Silcock's Pier Restaurant was opened last year and has been hugely popular, especially in sunny weather when people can sit outside and enjoy views overlooking Kings Gardens and the Marine Lake.  We have just launched our new Millie's Diner at Silcock's Funland, which offers an exciting new family-friendly menu with great value prices."