Beyond Van Gogh Exhibition Liverpool: Review

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I will admit that I did not know about how vast Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork repertoire was until last night. I was familiar with a few of his pieces, and obviously know about Sunflowers and  Starry Night (especially as my family growing up were the biggest Don McLean fans!) Last night we were invited to attend the opening night of Beyond Van Gogh – An immersive experience of Van Gogh’s incredible paintings at Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre, Liverpool Docks.

Watch our video of our visit to Beyond Van Gogh in Liverpool.

What to expect at Beyond Van Gogh in Liverpool

The exhibition is showing Van Gogh’s most famous works and some of his less well known pieces through the use of cutting-edge technology. When you enter the introduction hall, you are drawn into the big canvasses and hanging picture frames straightaway. The music, which is a specially curated musical soundtrack, is really well suited to travelling through the heart of the exhibition.There are passages of text on display telling the story of one of history’s most influential artists’ life. This was the part that we enjoyed least really – I was surprised at so much reading with nothing to break it up. If anyone has any difficulties in reading, I suspect they would not find this particularly inclusive. We were surprised that there were no stations with headphones that could read the information out to visitors.

When you reach the end of the procession you are guided into a middle room which has digital images of some of van gogh’s paintings in motion on the wall and travelling across the floor and then it is into the main hall.

This has the best of the immersive scenes and is definitely the most interesting aspect. You will see from my photos that many people are standing around watching the instantly-recognizable classics being displayed on the walls and again, across the floor in immense detail. I particularly loved how a little baby was sat on the floor, mesmerised by the patterns on the floor. This exhibition really is opening up art to a whole new generation of art enthusiasts! There is limited seating around (which Nanna Val took advantage of) but really there is plenty of space to include more.

How long does the Van Gogh Exhibition take to go around?

An hour is the typical time to see the whole show, containing over 300 masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh. There is nobody chasing anyone out though, so if you decide to hang around to see the incredible detail of his work a second time, then you can.

Is this the same exhibition that was in London?

No that was Van Gogh Live.

What do you get with VIP Experience Tickets?

A VIP ticket purchase will allow you access to the exhibition at any time of day on the day of the ticket. There is a special VIP entrance (that is well signposted) and you get a gift of selected merchandise of Van Gogh’s masterpieces at the end.

What age range is the Beyond Van Gogh exhibition suitable for?

This is one of the best immersive experience that is suitable for visitors of all ages! We took Nanna Val (bear in mind what I said earlier about her being a huge Don McLean fan) and a teen. I will admit that the teen lost enthusiasm slightly earlier than the rest of us but even she enjoyed the immersive hall as the paintings are changing. 

​Is there a gift shop and other facilites available at the Van Gogh Exhibition in Liverpool?

Yes, there is the gift shop as you are making your way out of the exhibition hall. Merchandise include hoodies, mugs, bookmarks, jewellery, posters and more.

There is cafe area selling drinks and snacks outside of the exhibition hall (but still within the exhibition centre) and toilet facilities (Which are light, airy and super clean).

What’s this about an immersive Yoga event at Van Gogh?

Immersive Yoga events will take place each Saturday at 9am. This is a limited capacity session, book early to avoid disappointment.

On Saturday 29th June and Sunday 6th July, Yogacita will be hosting an immersive yoga experience.

How to get to the Liverpool Exhibition Centre

If travelling by train to Liverpool Lime Street Station – It is around a 20-minute walk to the Docks or a quick taxi journey.

Enter the Liverpool Docks at the Kings Dock entrance.

Parking for the Van Gogh Exhibition

We parked in the arena car park next to the Exhibition Centre, where there were plenty of spaces and cost £6 for just under 2 hours. The car park is accessible to wheelchair users and pushchairs and is about a 3 minute walk (Don’t miss the side path that has the paintings of Liverpool legends).

Where else has the Van Gogh Exhibition been?

Beyond Van Gogh has mainly been in the United States but Glasgow, UK and Birmingham, UK are now on general sale.

How to buy tickets to Beyond Van Gogh

Additional dates have now been added due to the incredible demand – Beyond Van Gogh will be staying in Liverpool until 24 July 2024.

Opening house 10am-8pm Monday – Sunday. Visitors are advised to arrive 10 minutes before their entry time.

Tickets start from £13.20 and are available via Ticket Quarter from the Beyond Van Gogh website.

Find out more events happening in Liverpool and Merseyside.

About 2 Adults 3 Children

2 Adults 3 Children is a family with 3 daughters, aged 13+. They live near Liverpool and share the best events happening in the North West plus their travels further afield.

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