First events for Liverpool 2018 announced

Final plans are being put in place for Liverpool to mark the tenth anniversary of its reign as European Capital of Culture.

Details of Liverpool 2018- will be announced in January.

A number of major projects within the programme have already been announced including;

• China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors - coming to the UK for the first time in a generation

• The Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta linking Liverpool, Dublin and Bordeaux on 25 – 28 May

• The finale of the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race which is set to race back onto the Mersey in late July

• The Clothes Show which returns to the city for a second year from 19-21 October

• Tate Liverpool’s 30th anniversary programme including an Egon Schiele retrospective

• Liverpool Biennial’s 10th edition presenting leading visual artists from across the world takes place over 15 weeks

• Rewire – A major new art and technology commission led by FACT with Invisible Flock, working with artists from across the globe and communities in Toxteth and Dingle

Alongside this, Liverpool 2018 will also showcase premieres across the worlds of entertainment and sport, including

• China Dream – showcasing the best of modern Chinese culture

• The Future World of Work - what does this mean for society

• The Art of Football - the global relationship with the beautiful game

• Nineteen Eighteen (working title) - the centenary of the end of the First World War

Mayor Joe Anderson, said: “European Capital of Culture was an extraordinary year for this city, but it was never just about 2008 – it was about the legacy that followed.

“Culture has been the backbone of Liverpool’s renaissance over the past decade, and Liverpool 2018 is a chance for us to recognise the growth in confidence, ambition, creativity and cultural engagement which is seen in every corner of Liverpool – putting us quite rightly as a cultural exemplar on a national and international stage.

“Liverpool 2018 is an opportunity for us to once again roll out the red carpet for people to come and visit for the first time, or to rediscover what we believe is the most exciting destination in the UK.

“Some of the projects which we will be announcing in the New Year really do raise the bar and it will be an incredible time for residents and visitors who will undoubtedly travel from across the world to experience how Liverpool puts on a show.”

Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “The City Region Combined Authority is delighted to be supporting Liverpool 2018 with £5 million from our Single Investment Fund.

“It will kick-start a new cultural journey for the whole of the city region and it is my ambition that all areas feel the same benefits as Liverpool has done in the last decade. This region is blessed with a huge depth of talent and it is our job to provide the platforms to showcase that creativity and encourage participation. I was Lord Mayor in 2008 and saw first-hand the impact celebrating culture had on people and communities.