July 2026 is the biggest month in Southport's recent history. The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale runs 12 to 19 July and everything in the town is oriented around it. But the month is worth thinking about in full, whether you are here for the golf or not.
The First Week of July: Before The Open
The town starts filling in the first week of July. Hotels are already gone for Open week, but the town itself is still accessible. The beach is at peak summer condition. The seafront is busy but not overwhelmed.
If you are not here for The Open specifically, the first fortnight of July is honestly one of the best times to visit Southport. Good weather, long evenings, restaurants that are busy but still walkable-in. The energy of the approaching event gives the town an extra edge without the actual chaos of Open week itself.
Open Week: 12 to 19 July
I have been here during Open Championships at Royal Birkdale. The town genuinely transforms. Lord Street is busier than it is at Christmas. Birkdale village becomes a different place. The seafront has a different energy. It is the biggest sporting week this town has had in years.
If you are in Southport during Open week without a ticket, that is fine. The town is worth being in. Pubs are showing the golf, restaurants are at their best because the demand forces them to be, and there is a specific atmosphere to a town hosting the world's oldest major.
If you have a ticket: get there early, use the shuttle or train rather than driving, and book dinner before you leave the house in the morning. You will not find a decent table at 8pm in Birkdale or the town centre without a reservation. I am not exaggerating.
Everything you need to know about The Open 2026:
The Open 2026 Visitor Guide →After The Open: 20 to 31 July
This is worth knowing if you are planning around the event. The town quiets down noticeably in the day or two after the championship ends. Hotels drop their prices. Restaurants are suddenly bookable again without a week's notice. The beach is still at full summer condition.
The last ten days of July, after The Open ends, are arguably the best value weeks to visit Southport all year. Summer conditions, none of the Open week pressure, and the town still running on the momentum of the biggest week of its year.
The Beach in July
Southport beach is at its best in July. Low tide takes the sea a long way out. The sand is dry. Marine Drive car park fills by 10am on a summer Saturday. Go early or accept you are parking further than planned and walking. That is not a threat, it is just how it works.
The Marine Lake is open. Splash World is busy. If you have got kids, July is a good month to be here. The school holidays do not fully kick in until the third week of July, so the first fortnight is still relatively manageable.
Accommodation in July
Open week is essentially sold out at hotels. If you have not booked, your option is self-catering. There are cottages and holiday lets in Southport and Birkdale with availability if you look now. Outside Open week, July accommodation is easier to find, though it is peak season pricing across the board.
Find accommodation in Southport for July:
Where to Stay in Southport →What Else Is On
There is nothing of the scale of The Open on the July calendar beyond the championship itself. But Lord Street is in summer mode, the independent restaurants are doing their best trade of the year, and the town is worth visiting on its own terms.
The Atkinson on Lord Street is excellent for a rainy afternoon: gallery, theatre, and a decent cafe. Southport Market on Market Street is good for a relaxed lunch with the kids. And the seafront on a clear July evening, with the light doing what it does over the Irish Sea, is one of the better things about living here.
What to do in Southport:
Things to Do in Southport →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk. Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
