After the city of Liverpool rallied to save Zoe’s Place baby hospice last year, a huge celebration concert will say thank you to the people of the city and launch the charity’s new chapter
A very special night of music and celebration will take place this summer in Liverpool featuring a host of major stars as the city prepares to celebrate a new chapter for Zoe’s Place baby hospice.
Last year, the people of Liverpool rallied to save Zoe’s Place – a hospice which has been caring for babies and children with complex needs and devastating illnesses since 1995 – from closure, raising a stunning £7.5m to help keep the hospice going and to begin the process of moving to a new home.
After that remarkable campaign, Zoe’s Place in Liverpool is beginning a brand new chapter as it officially launches as a new standalone charity and asks the people of Liverpool to come up with a new name and mascot for the revamped organisation.
And now it has been revealed that a major concert will be held at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena this summer to both celebrate the incredible efforts of the people of Liverpool and beyond in saving Zoe’s Place in Liverpool – and to officially launch the charity’s next stage.
Taking place on Thursday July 17 2025, ‘A Celebration of Zoe’s Place’ will bring together some of Merseyside’s most iconic performers — including Ian McCulloch, The Zutons, Jamie Webster, Rebecca Ferguson, The Lightning Seeds, The Real Thing and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra — for a one-night-only concert honouring the extraordinary campaign that saved the hospice and unveiling its exciting future.
Organisers say this historic concert will not only be a thank you to the people of Liverpool and beyond who helped save the hospice — it will also mark the culmination of the ‘Same Heart, Fresh Start’ campaign, which invites the public to be a part of the charity’s future by helping to suggest a new name and mascot as it transitions to a fully independent charity. The competition is live now and can be entered by clicking here and submitting your entry.
The special concert event will include the official reveal of the hospice’s new name and mascot, chosen from public submissions from across the UK and will raise essential funds to support its move to a new, purpose-built home in West Derby.
A Celebration of Zoe’s Place set list:
The concert will see the 66-piece Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sense of Sound Singers perform a specially curated Merseyside songbook, with collaborations and reimagined classics from a stellar line-up of artists.
Jamie Webster will perform his anthemic song ‘This Place’ in the event’s grand finale alongside the orchestra and choir.
Rebecca Ferguson will make a glittering return to Liverpool to perform a number of tracks specially selected for the night including a very notable Liverpool song performance with the orchestra.
Brad Kella – The winner of Channel 4’s The Piano will perform pieces from his forthcoming debut album.
Ian McCulloch – In a truly unique moment, Ian will perform together “Nothing Ever Lasts Forever” together as a duet with Jamie Webster and the full orchestra.
Rianne Downey will perform “Rotterdam” with the orchestra, fresh from her Paul Heaton arena tour.
The Real Thing will perform live “You to Me Are Everything”, a tribute to Zoe’s Place and the people of Liverpool.
The Lightning Seeds and The Zutons will each perform a couple of huge hit tracks either side of the interval with the orchestra, including the likes of “Life of Riley” and “Valerie”.
Red Rum Club (returning to the Arena following their own 2024 headline show) and The Cheap Thrills – two of Liverpool’s best new bands – will each perform covers of songs made famous by The Beatles from the orchestra’s library.
Merseyside veterans The Farm and Ian Prowse will each perform famous Merseyside tracks of their own with the orchestra.
Pete Wylie will be one of the final performances of the evening with a powerful rendition of ‘Heart as Big as Liverpool’ alongside the orchestra.
The Sense of Sound Singers will perform alongside the orchestra as a choir throughout the evening and will step into the spotlight themselves to perform some big dance-classics that have soundtracked the Liverpool club scene.
Comedian Adam Rowe – an arena headliner himself – and presenter Leanne Campbell Power will host the evening, alongside special guests and recognisable Merseyside faces introducing performances and leading interactive fundraising moments.
The event has been organised by the Liverpool Zoe’s Place team alongside Modern Sky’s CEO David Pichllingi, Mike Deane, founder of Liverpool Music Week and BOSS Night founder Daniel Nicolson, in close collaboration with the senior management team at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic including Richard Haswell, Sandra Parr, Katy Wakeford Brown and Sian Waller – and M&S Bank Arena CEO Faye Dyer & Commercial Director Ben Williams.
The event was initiated by Ian Byrne, the Member of Parliament for West Derby – who is the patron of the new charity – and has been a vital part of the planning for the concert. Mr Byrne said: “This is a celebration of what Liverpool achieved together — and where we go next. Liverpool Zoe’s Place was on the brink of closure but the people of this city refused to let that happen.
“The amazing event on July 17 is a way to say thank you in the biggest way possible — through music, unity and love. It’s going to be an unforgettable night.”
The organisers say the event is designed to be a family-friendly, community-wide moment, with accessible pricing to ensure everyone who supported Zoe’s Place can be part of the celebration. Tickets are priced at £15 for under 18s and £30 for adults.
Pre-sale tickets will go on sale on Thursday May 15 at 11am, with general sale opening on Friday May 16 at 11am.
People will be able to get tickets here: https://www.mandsbankarena.com/whats-on/a-celebration-of-zoe-s-place/
