A free celebration of the Liverpool City Region's Yemeni community will take place in Sefton Park this weekend, offering visitors food, drinks, music, dancing and shopping alongside displays of traditional artefacts exploring Yemen's cultural heritage.
The event is organised with the Merseyside Yemeni Community Association (MYCA), which has served local community members in Liverpool since the 1980s. MYCA supports generations through education, guidance, cultural preservation and the fostering of shared British and Yemeni values, while providing essential services and building bridges across cultures.
Festival of Ideas partnership
The celebration follows work that began earlier this year when BlaST (Black Social Traders Network) started collaborating with the Merseyside Yemeni Association and Kuumba Imani, a community-rooted multicultural hub in Liverpool 8.
Joanne Anderson, Founder of BlaST, said: "We set up the Festival of Ideas to make sure the ambitions within Liverpool’s Yemeni community had a clear route to support and investment, and the response went far beyond anything we expected."
"Thirty-seven people came forward with ideas, each of them ready to build something for their family and their community. Sunday is our chance to celebrate them, and to show the rest of the city region the talent and enterprise that has been here all along," she added.
Food, shopping and community spirit
Visitors can expect traditional Yemeni food and refreshments on sale, including authentic Yemeni rice dishes, Sabaya (a traditional Yemeni pastry) and Yemeni tea. There will also be an opportunity to discover and purchase coffee beans and merchandise created by the festival's participants.
Abdul basit Qadir, Chair of the Merseyside Yemeni Association, said: "The Yememi community in Liverpool – and beyond – has always been very self-reliant. Yemeni business are all around us – initially as local stores and newsagents and now increasingly as food, hospitality and service businesses."
"This event is all about celebrating that Yemeni diaspora in Merseyside that’s become woven into the fabric of our city region. It's a chance to see those opportunities – and to create new ones," he said.
Event details
The celebration will recognise the achievements and power of community, with opportunities to discover the creativity, culture and talent that emerged from the Yemeni Community Festival of Ideas.
The event takes place on Sunday, November 1 2026, from 12pm to 4pm at Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool. Entry is free and all are welcome. The Palm House will remain open as usual, serving sandwiches, soups, cakes and refreshments throughout the day.
