Four sports, one festival: the sport at the Inclusive Sport & Culture Festival
From 2 to 8 May 2027, Liverpool hosts four international Para sport competitions as part of the Inclusive Sport & Culture Festival (ISCF). Elite athletes, venues right across the city's waterfront, and a major arts and culture programme running alongside the action. Here's what's coming.
Wheelchair Rugby
Where: M&S Bank Arena When: Sunday 2 May to Friday 7 May
Watch the GB Wheelchair Rugby team take on five of the top-ranked nations in the world across the week. It's fast, full-contact and played by mixed teams of men and women, with points scored by carrying the ball across the opponent's try line.
The arena will also host a number of shows through the week, held alongside the sporting action and featuring nationally and internationally recognised disabled artists, groups and performers.
Boccia
Where: Exhibition Centre, LEX When: Monday 3 May to Friday 7 May
World-class Boccia comes to Liverpool as more than 100 players from around the world compete at the World Boccia Cup for vital qualification points for the LA28 Paralympic Games. Played in individual and team competitions, Boccia is a highly tactical sport where precision is everything.
Alongside the competition, spectators can enjoy a range of art exhibitions, talks and workshops.
Para Canoe
Where: Salthouse Dock When: Friday 7 May and Saturday 8 May
Some of the fastest racing on water you'll ever see, right in Liverpool's historic docks. The world's leading Para Canoe paddlers take on a short, super-fast course, with men's and women's races across two action-packed days.
It's free to watch, with a DJ and street performers bringing the dockside to life, and everything Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE have to offer just around the corner.
Para Athletics
Where: Pier Head When: Saturday 8 May
Athletics like you've never seen it before. Liverpool's iconic Pier Head becomes a true festival site, with a city centre athletics arena sitting side by side with an arts festival. Athletes compete in the 100m, long jump and shot put, surrounded by live music and performances.
It's free to watch and a brilliant day out for the whole family, and the perfect way to close the festival.
Sport and culture, together
That's what makes the ISCF different. Across the week, the sport runs alongside a groundbreaking £1m+ arts and culture programme led by D/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists. One festival, one city, with something for everyone.
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The Inclusive Sport & Culture Festival takes place in Liverpool, 2 to 8 May 2027.
