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There are people who hear “dance party” and immediately reach for their shoes. Then there are those of us who begin preparing a detailed explanation of an old knee injury.
Liverpool’s Movema has anticipated at least some of our excuses. Its 17th birthday céilí requires neither experience nor a partner. You can arrive without knowing the steps. There'll be someone calling them out, which is considerably more assistance than most wedding DJs provide.
On Saturday 17 October, the dance company joins live band Saltcutters at St Bride’s Church for an evening of music, movement and meeting people. It’s part of Liverpool Irish Festival, whose 2026 theme is I Am Here.
“I am here, although possibly facing the wrong direction” should still count.
The evening draws on the artists’ multiple heritages and Irish traditional dance forms, with tunes and dances from Ireland, England, Scotland and beyond. Along the way, guests will hear how music and movement travel, change and complicate our assumptions about identity.
Which is quite a lot for a Saturday night. Fortunately, there’s stew.
The calling will be gender-free: rather than “ladies and gents”, dancers might hear “larks and robins” or “ones and twos”. Everyone can choose whichever role feels right. There’s no need to bring a partner, find the appropriate box or pass a practical examination in knowing your left from your right.
“We want everyone to feel welcome at this Céilí as we celebrate 17 years of Movema!” says co-CEO Maria Malone.
That welcome is just the point. A group dance gives people something to do together before they’ve necessarily found something to say. Introductions become easier when you have a shared task - even if that task briefly involves working out where everyone else has gone.
There’s something rather appealing about a birthday party built around that idea. Seventeen years is worth celebrating, and an arts organisation that brings people together has every reason to put those people at the centre of its festivities.
Proceeds will support Movema’s charitable work with women, children and resettled communities in Liverpool. Your evening out helps sustain opportunities for other people to take part.
The ticket includes a vegan Irish stew, and a bar will be serving refreshments. Sensible shoes would seem a useful contribution from your end.
So, if you love Irish music, fancy a dance or simply suspect that your Saturday could use fewer hours on the sofa, this looks like a promising invitation.
You don’t have to be good at dancing to accept it. You just have to turn up.
Movema’s 17th Birthday Céilí with Saltcutters takes place on Saturday 17 October 2026, 6.30pm–11pm, at St Bride’s Church, Percy Street, Liverpool, L8 7LT. Tickets are £20, including stew; booking is required.
The event is aimed at adults aged 16+, with children over 12 welcome when accompanied by an adult. For access enquiries, contact Movema
Header image: David Leake
