BIRKENHEAD music venue, Future Yard, is set to play host to a number of exciting summer events in August.

CRATE Market returns alongside an exclusive headline performance from Dur-Dur Band International, before the Bank holiday arrives to wrap-up proceedings with the Future Now Weekender and the Pat Nevin World Cup 5-a-side Tournament.

CRATE is the venue's regular craft beer and music market, returning for the eighth iteration of the event since Future Yard opened fully in 2021.

Taking place on Saturday, August 19 the event takes over the whole ground floor of the venue, followed by a live show in the evening.

The market brings together the worlds of vinyl obsessives and craft beer aficionados for a daytime fair that joins up some of the best local record labels, vendors, brewers, printmakers, and DJs in the North West. Starting at 11am and running until 8pm, CRATE is free entry.

Guests will have the chance to dig through a selection of vinyl records + musical paraphernalia as well as try out some of the region's finest IPAs, whilst also holding activities for kids to make it an unmissable day out for the whole family.

Future Yard's neighbours Glen Affric are all set to take over the outdoor bar once again, highlighting their exceptional brews which are created just a stone's throw away from the venue. 

Afterwards, the Future Yard Live Room will play host to the inimitable Dur-Dur Band International from 8pm for a North West exclusive performance. Heroes of the Mogadishu dance scene in their native Somalia, their unique brand of disco-funk will complete the full day of festivities. They’re stopping off at the Live Room in the midst of festival sets at the likes of Green Man, so to witness them in Birkenhead promises to be undeniably special.

The month of August culminates in Future Yard’s flagship event - the Future Now Weekender.

Future Now is an annual celebration of the best emerging new music, which also marks the anniversary of the festival that launched Future Yard in 2019.

Following on from headliners Pigs x7 and Snapped Ankles shaking the foundations last year, 2023 sees returning heroes The Bug Club and BODEGA headlining, both having played packed-out shows on Argyle Street in 2022.

Set across Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26, Future Now is a chance to celebrate the music makers who are on the rise and ready to break out. It’s the spirit of discovery that is at the heart of Future Now, and the festival has previously presented the likes of Black Country, New Road, Squid, Dry Cleaning, Willie J Healey, bdrmm, and COLA, proving that Birkenhead is the place to be to discover the best new sounds.

Christopher Torpey, Future Yard co-founder, said: “August bank holiday weekend is always a key moment for Future Yard.

"Future Now is one of the pillars of our live calendar, where we get to bring together all of our current favourite noisemakers for one amazing weekend of music. It’s a chance for our regular gig-goers to revel in that too, and for music lovers to discover their new favourite artist.

"It’s also a moment to remember where Future Yard started - with a two-day music festival in Birkenhead back in 2019, which lit the touch paper on this incredible journey and made The Future Is Birkenhead feel like a reality rather than a pipe dream.”

As Future Now wraps up on Saturday night the attention is immediately turned to the following day’s 5-a-side tournament that will see Future Yard’s audience, neighbours, bands, supporters, staff, and partners battling it out on the pitch.

Named in honour of one of Tranmere Rovers’ favourite sons, The Pat Nevin World Cup takes place on Sunday, August 27 and is open for teams to enter now.

Entry to the tournament is £40 per team, with a recommended squad size of 8 (up to a maximum of 10). All proceeds raised from the event will support Future Yard’s new Neighbourhood Fund, providing free tickets, training, and community music activities for the most disadvantaged communities in Birkenhead.