Eurovision 2023: Liverpool’s famous waterfront to host fan zone at Pier Head

The Eurovision village will feature live music and broadcast the main song contest on big screens.
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Liverpool’s iconic Pier Head is to play host to the Eurovision village set up to support next year’s international song contest.

The fan zone, located near host venue the M&S Bank Arena, will feature live music and broadcast the song contest on big screens.

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In May 2023, representatives from 37 countries across Europe will descend on the city to compete for the biggest musical prize on the continent. Last month, Liverpool was selected to host the competition in place of Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the nine shows that will take place in the M&S Bank Arena next May. Contract details have now revealed when and where the public will be able to visit during the festivities.

Liverpool Council has gone out to tender for a stewarding and security firm to oversee the site it will manage at the Pier Head from May 5-13 next year. The semi finals are scheduled to take place on May 9 and 11 before the grand final on Saturday 13th.

Details included with the £85,000, five month contract said the city “received praise for its world-class facilities including the M&S Bank Arena and ACC Liverpool, the innovation behind its cultural programme, the plans to celebrate Ukrainian people and community and the ‘walkability’ of the city.

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“Liverpool’s unrivalled reputation for staging large-scale cultural events played a key part in the decision-making process as did the city’s relationship with its sister city Odesa. The city region-wide support for Liverpool’s bid also proved to be a hit with the judges, and the ‘Team Liverpool’ approach was noted as residents, visitors, organisations and community groups across the city got behind the bid.”

It said Culture Liverpool are seeking a security and stewarding company to help deliver this village and other associated production elements as required of the Eurovision programme. The city’s Eurovision team is now putting its plans together, which includes working with Ukrainian street artists and fashion designers, creating a Liverpool/Ukraine community education programme and developing plans to host a special culture trail featuring Eurovision and “Scouse legend” Sonia.

Fireworks at Liverpool Pier Head. Image: Pete - stock.adobe.comFireworks at Liverpool Pier Head. Image: Pete - stock.adobe.com
Fireworks at Liverpool Pier Head. Image: Pete - stock.adobe.com

The tender revealed the village would be created as a live event site open to the public from May 5 to 13, subject to change. It added: “This village will be created on the Pier Head site and will consist of activations, stages, live music, concessions and much more.”

The appointed company will be working alongside Culture Liverpool, Merseyside Police and the BBC to bring together the security plan for the village, alongside other elements of the Eurovision programme. The successful bidder will be expected to identify a security manager who will become part of the planning team, and will design the security plan for the Pier Head in consultation with the relevant partners.

A Liverpool Council spokesperson said: “This is the first in a number of tenders we will be issuing in the coming months as we start to build the team we need to stage Eurovision in Liverpool.”

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