Music festivals in Liverpool

The year starts with Sound City, which calls itself the UK's festival for new music. Over a weekend in early May it takes over venues in Liverpool city centre with artists at the start of their careers, and a day of industry conference - keynotes, Q&As and roundtables - runs alongside it. It is a good weekend to walk between small rooms and catch bands before they get bigger. In June, Africa Oyé brings live African music and culture to Sefton Park: stages on the grass, food stalls, dancing in front of the main stage and a crowd that mixes families, students and people who have come every year for decades. It is known as the largest celebration of African music in the UK.

The end of August is the Beatles' turn. International Beatleweek runs for about a week around the August bank holiday, with bands on the Cavern Club's three stages all day, every day, and concerts spreading out to the Philharmonic Hall, the Dome at Grand Central Hall and other rooms across the city. Tribute bands come from all over the world, and the mood in Mathew Street that week is part pub crawl, part pilgrimage. The same bank holiday weekend, Creamfields takes place in Daresbury, Cheshire - outside the city, between Liverpool and Manchester - with dance and electronic music across a camping weekend. Most people who go from Liverpool either camp or book a coach.

Practical notes for first-timers. Sefton Park is south of the centre and easy to reach by bus or on foot from Lark Lane, and the weather is the usual British summer mix, so bring a layer and a waterproof. For Sound City and Beatleweek, everything is walkable in the centre, but popular rooms fill fast, so arrive early for the acts you care about. For Creamfields, plan transport and camping before the tickets sell through, and remember it is a field outside town, not a city-centre event.