EuroFestival has announced the full details of its cultural extravaganza taking over Liverpool in the lead up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Running from Monday 1 May to Sunday 14 May, the festival features 24 commissions - 19 of which are collaborations between UK and Ukrainian artists – that will transform the city.
A mix of music and art, the commissions range from a beautiful, large-scale bird trail, to a musical supergroup made up of artists from Liverpool and Ukraine.
Location: EuroFestival will be presented in public spaces and leading art venues such as Bluecoat, Chavasse Park, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Everyman Theatre, Unity Theatre, Everyman Cinema, Open Eye Gallery, Exchange Flags, Liverpool One, Content, TATE, Invisible Wind Factory, Museum of Liverpool and Tower Grounds New Brighton.
Look out for: Soloveiko Songbirds willl see 12, large scale, light-up nightingales located around the city. Each songbird will be designed with unique plumage and accompanied by bespoke audio soundscapes to represent different regions of Ukraine, and make up a beautiful trail which can be followed by the public over the two-week festival.
What has been said: “No other Eurovision host city has ever curated a creative programme of such scale and scope,” says Claire McColgan CBE, Director of Culture Liverpool. “It’s a programme of glorious brilliance, made by artists with open hearts and the will and commitment to present a show in less than five months, to reach across countries and genres and to produce this Scouse/Ukrainian mashup of brilliance.”
Below are the full details of EuroFestival’s amazing commissions.
A mix of music and art, the commissions range from a beautiful, large-scale bird trail, to a musical supergroup made up of artists from Liverpool and Ukraine.
5. Eurotopia
Tapping into the Eurovision’s United by Music ethos will be Welcome to Eurotopia - a ‘Supergroup’ made up of Liverpool musicians collaborating with Ukrainian artists. The group will perform a mix of original and existing music, in off-the-charts Euro-typical costume and glamour. Highlights from the line-up include Natalie McCool, Stealing Sheep, She Drew The Gun’s Lou Roach and Ukrainian artists Krapka Koma, Iryna Muha and Helleroid among many more.
6. You’re a Vision, Late at Tate and National Museums x Eurovision
Late at Tate: The Spirit of Eurovision, National Museums Liverpool x Eurovision, and You’re a Vision! at the Everyman will have house activity across the two-week celebration. Pictured is You’re a Vision, which features theatre performances.
7. Rave UKraine
On May 7, Rave UKraine will bring people from different cultures and countries together on the dance floor of CONTENT in Liverpool and HVLV Bar ft Hangout in Kyiv. The daytime raves are being streamed into both venues, connecting clubbers to each other in real time – and before Kyiv’s nightly curfew kicks in.
8. Land & Sky, Home & Dreams
Working with 450 children from Ukraine and 450 children from across Merseyside, Land & Sky, Home & Dreams, will connect both groups of children in a simultaneous mass participation event. The kites - which the children have designed and painted themselves - will be flown in New Brighton and in four locations across Ukraine.