Eurovision boosts Liverpool City Region economy by nearly £55million
That's according to independent evaluations of the song contest's impact
Hosting Eurovision delivered a near £55million economic boost to the Liverpool City Region.
That's according to independent evaluations looking at the economic and social impact of staging the event on behalf of Ukraine.
They also looked at the influence on cultural relations, the impact on wellbeing in the city and the visitor experience.
The economy was boosted by £54.8million, with 473,000 people attending Eurovision events and 306,000 additional visitors coming to Liverpool for the celebrations.
175,000 hotel rooms were sold in the city centre in May - the most in a single month since 2018.
The education and community programmes engaged with 367 organisations and is estimated to have reached two million people.
The Eurovision Village at Pier Head attracted 250,000 visitors across the ten days it was open.
89% of visitors who responded to a survey felt the event was safe and 88% praised its inclusivity.
96% would recommend Liverpool as a safe place to visit and 42% of overseas visitors said it had a positive impact on how they viewed the UK.
Eight in ten Liverpool residents noted how important the event was for the city and 93% said they were pleased with how it was delivered.
Three-quarters of them were enthusiastic about Liverpool hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine.
475 people completed 12,000 hours of volunteering between them, covering 350 shifts. 90% of them were from the North West and 30 were Ukrainian.
145 students became part of the Eurovision production team - in roles such as stage dancers in the live shows, costume makers or in the TV production team.
Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, said:
"The whirlwind that was Eurovision, gave this city an unparalleled stage where it could showcase not just its organisational prowess, but also its heart and soul.
"From the outset, we put plans in place to evaluate everything we programmed in order to have a thorough understanding of the impact of major events.
"The visitor and economic figures speak for themselves – jobs were created, local businesses were on the receiving end of a much-needed boost and hundreds of thousands of people came to the city, had a great time and are more than likely to return again.
"Proud but never satisfied"
"My mantra is proud but never satisfied. These comprehensive reports give us the opportunity to reflect on what was achieved over an incredibly short period of time, but more importantly we can look at lessons learnt for the next time we host a major event. And this is Liverpool, so there will definitely be a next time.
"Knowing the financials and the visitor numbers is always a great indicator of success, but with Eurovision we wanted to do more. As the first host city ever to introduce a school and community programme dedicated to Eurovision, we needed to drill into what that really meant for people - did it make a positive difference to their lives and as a result to our city? Never before has any other location commissioned such a detailed analysis, and it goes without saying that our methodology can be adopted by locations across the world which is a real badge of honour for Liverpool.
"We're more than ready for the next one"
"This collective research proves that events like Eurovision can transcend boundaries, leaving a legacy of inspiration and goodwill. It was a milestone moment in our city’s history, and now we’re more than ready for the next one."
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
"There was never a doubt in my mind as to whether our region was up to the challenge of hosting a global spectacle like Eurovision on behalf of our friends in Ukraine - because nowhere does culture bigger or better than the Liverpool City Region. From the hundreds of thousands of visitors who flocked to our region for a fortnight of fun and frivolity, to the tens of millions around the world who tuned in, we gave millions of people a Eurovision they will never forget.
"Nowhere can throw a party quite like us"
"While that's an incredible result in itself, the contest was also a vital shot in the arm for our local economy, bringing in more than £54m, creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for local people and showcasing our brand to an international audience. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of everyone who truly embraced the Eurovision spirit and made our visitors feel so welcome. I said all along that nowhere can throw a party quite like us - and now we have the results to prove it!"
Liverpool's Director of Culture, Claire McColgan CBE, said:
"We experienced this Eurovision-high as a result of cultural back catalogue.
"We have spent years working towards what we all experienced in May – we cut our teeth during our European Capital of Culture year and from that point we have grown exponentially in confidence and ability as year-on-year we continue to deliver events that rival any other on the world stage.
"The pandemic was a real line in the sand for us, and undoubtedly Liverpool’s role in leading the charge on the reopening of venues nationwide made us stand out from the crowd – we are recognised as a city that can deliver unforgettable moments, safely, quickly and with a scouse panache that simply can’t be replicated anywhere else.
"Quite simply, it was an honour to deliver Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine and the UK. I’ve never known time move so fast as it did across those seven months and it has been a real pleasure to digest these impact reports and relive the experience once again and reassure myself it wasn’t just a crazy dream! They underline the fact Liverpool has the skill, agency-wide teamwork and the creativity to deliver time and time again.
"Liverpool made Eurovision"
"So I’d like to say to everyone - whether you worked on the event, donned those iconic yellow hoodies and volunteered, performed on stage or on our streets, danced at the Village, sang along at the arena or perhaps you discovered more about Ukraine in the classroom or even helped evaluate the event – thank you. You made Eurovision. Liverpool made Eurovision. We were all united by music."
Eurovision Minister Stuart Andrew said:
"It is fantastic to see the impact that hosting the Eurovision Song Contest has had on Liverpool. The city put on a fantastic display of culture and creativity, showing solidarity with our friends in Ukraine and highlighting what unites us all.
"This research demonstrates the positive impact of hosting major events and I hope that we can continue to build on this success."