Liverpool ONE will be the home of the official Eurovision Song Contest pop-up store, the only one of its kind, from May 1 to May 14, as the city hosts the international competition, on behalf of last year’s winners, Ukraine.
Situated on Manesty’s Lane, the store’s design has been inspired by the theme of ‘You’ll Never Sing Alone’ and will feature the full range of Eurovision merchandise, including mugs, caps, hoodies, t-shirts and limited edition replicas of the Eurovision Song Contest trophy. In addition, fans will be able to purchase a number of novelty items to help them celebrate at home, Eurovision-style.
With the Eurovision final taking place at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool on May 13 and the semi-finals on May 9 and 11, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is anticipating an immediate £25m boost to the local economy, with a subsequent 5% increase in tourism revenue annually, equating to an additional £250m of spend by 2026.
Reflecting the anticipated surge in visitors, Liverpool ONE is forecasting a 25% increase in footfall during Eurovision, and has launched a comprehensive programme of music, art and community-led events to help visitors to the city immerse themselves in the contest.
Highlights include the installation throughout Liverpool ONE of ‘Instagrammable’ floral displays inspired by the colours of the Ukrainian flag, the return of Liverpool ONE’s Tickle the Ivories pianos for a three-week period, and the relaunch of Liverpool ONE’s tourist information centre as the central hub for all things Eurovision.
In addition, a full week of free music, theatre and dance performances will take over Chavasse Park, which sits at the heart of Liverpool ONE, during the week of Eurovision. For the first three days, in partnership with Culture Liverpool, EuroCamp Presents will feature stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as part of a programme of arts, cabaret and music performances. On the remaining four days, staged performances will showcase up and coming local talent working with community-led organisations, including the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and others.
Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said: “We strive to place community and culture at the heart of everything we do, so it was vital that our Eurovision schedule had these things in abundance. We are also working on the legacy post-Eurovision and how such a major event can influence the transformation of spaces and wellbeing opportunities across Liverpool ONE.”
The Eurovision store is the latest in a series of pop-ups in Liverpool ONE, including the overwhelmingly successful, two-day activation of online contemporary clothing and footwear brand, ARNE, on Peter’s Lane in March. They followed MerseyMade’s double residence, first on Peter’s Lane and then Manesty’s Lane, with the locally-run store featuring the work of artists and artisans from across the Liverpool City Region.
To find out more about what’s happening at Liverpool ONE visit www.liverpool-one.com
