Mersey Maritime Medley
A wave of events will wash over Liverpool’s iconic waterfront in May and June as it plays host to three special maritime weekends.
Liverpool on the Waterfront starts in May when the city will be the national focus for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic commemorations. Working in partnership with the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, from the 24 – 28 May activities will take place at the waterfront and in the city centre including a cathedral service, veterans parade, a special band concert by Her Majesty’s Royal Marines at the Philharmonic Hall, a 40s themed party at St George’s Hall, a fly past and a James Bond-style display involving the Royal Marines and Liverpool’s own Motor Tug Brocklebank.
Bomb disposal displays will also take place during the event along with exhibitions from the army, air force and the navy.
Around 25 warships will arrive in the city from countries including Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States, and some vessels will be open to visitors during their visit. There will be a co-ordinated departure of all the vessels on Tuesday 28 May.
The following weekend (31 May-2 June) will be a birthday celebration marking 25 years since the completion of the regeneration of the Albert Dock and the opening of Tate Liverpool. To celebrate Liverpool’s most visited free tourist attraction turning 25 this year, everyone is invited to join in Albert Dock’s 25th birthday weekend of family fun and entertainment, which will feature the very best of the much loved attraction. And their birthday present to Liverpool is a free day out for the children.
During the three days there will be a host of free family activities, Beatles Story will have free family workshops and kids go free with a paying adult to see the world class attraction. Tate Liverpool is drawing on the silver anniversary and kids can get creative in a workshop from 27 May. Merseyside Maritime Museum’s free event programme will entertain any little sailors, while PanAm and Blue Bar and Grill will be doing kids eat free.
All the latest information will be updated on www.albertdock.com.
The final weekend sees the return of the hugely popular Music on the Waterfront weekend. From 7-9 June live music will take over the Pier Head as a mix of home grown talent and household names perform on the outdoor stage in front of the Liver Buildings. Once again the city council is working in partnership with Smooth Radio who last year brought acts ranging from Russell Watson and Paul Carrack to Jocelyn Brown.
This weekend will also see the return of the River Festival with Tall Ships and historic vessels lining the waterfront along with other special activities including street theatre and shanty music. There is also an exciting Red Bull event planned to take place in the Albert Dock. Keep checking www.redbull.co.uk for more information.
The full programme for each of the events will be announced in the next few months.
Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “There’s something for everyone with these fantastic three, free weekends.
“From commemorating war heroes and seeing the city’s waterfront at its best as it hosts a magnificent fleet of vessels, right though to getting people of all ages together to celebrate the 25th birthday of one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and seeing a series of stars bring the Pier Head alive with fantastic music.
“We are a city renowned for putting on high-calibre, free events, but there’s always something even more special when they are focused around our stunning waterfront, and we’re sure tens of thousands will make the most of all the activities on offer.
“And to have three consecutive weekend events will be a much needed boost to our local economy with hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and tourist attractions all benefiting from the huge numbers of people descending on the city.”
