Liverpool To Host UK’s Biggest 4th July Celebrations
Creative Director Wayne Hemingway MBE has accepted an invitation from the city of Liverpool to curate a weekend of celebrations to mark the city’s 175th anniversary of its transatlantic links. And as part of the event a world-record breaking attempt will be made!
The world record attempt is being organised by Culture Liverpool and is sponsored by Liverpool-based online retail giant Very.co.uk. It will take place in front of the Three Graces as part of the ‘One Magnificent City’celebrations which mark Liverpool’s important historical links with North America.
The event, which is attempting to smash the Guinness World Record for ‘most models on a catwalk’, is likely to result in the UK’s biggest ever 4th July celebrations.
Every aspect of Liverpool’s diverse DNA, from schools and community groups to families and fashionistas will join together to take part in ‘The Very Big Catwalk’, which is expected to see more than 3,500 people getting involved.
The Very Big Catwalk, hosted in partnership with Very.co.uk, is part of a programme of events which will run for seven weeks across the city.
Wayne Hemingway MBE, said: “Liverpool’s cool roots and well-documented heritage will play out on the catwalk as the heart and soul of the city come together, from dance troops to twins, from pensioners to the police, from couture to cadets in this once in a life time public celebration of all that’s fashionable.
“This once in a lifetime record-breaking carnival will be an audio, visual feast designed to showcase the city’s diverse, welcoming, expressive, humorous and fun-loving spirit that characterises it around the world. But, we need people to make it happen, thousands of them. So, this is a shout out to all the city’s folk from every aspect of life to come and help us make history.”
Thanks to the collaboration with Very.co.uk, some famous faces are expected to be seen in the line-up, showcasing the retailer’s latest collections.
Very.co.uk marketing director Kenyatte Nelson said: “Being Liverpool-based is an important part of Very.co.uk’s DNA and we’re thrilled to help put on this massive show in the city. Like our brand, the catwalk attempt is fun, fresh and bold.
“Liverpool girls love clothes so I’d like to urge all of you to come out in your best dresses and strut down the catwalk to help put this city on the fashion map.”
Renowned TV and live event fashion producer Jane Galpin from BBC’s Clothes Show and Channel 4 shows such as How to Look Good Naked will help coordinate the mammoth catwalk show.
Jane Galpin said: “This is going to be a magnificent and unforgettable moment for the city. People from all walks of Liverpool life will join forces and sashay down the Pier Head runway. It’s history in the making and a fashion show and carnival that will reflect Liverpool’s passion for fashion, along with its musical links with America. This incredible once in a lifetime opportunity is not to be missed, and one that we want everyone, no matter who you are, to be part of”
Under the shadow of the RMS Queen Mary 2, which will be docked at Liverpool Pier Head preparing to recreate its inaugural voyage to Boston, ‘The Very Big Catwalk’ will be followed by ‘The Very Big After Party’, where everyone is invited to a huge free disco on the docks.
The party, which Merseyside legend Greg Wilson will DJ, will help relive Liverpool’s musical history playing influential sounds the city first heard from across the pond, including the authentic American sounds of R&B, Motown, northern soul, disco and funk.
And once the party is over and Queen Mary 2 departs Liverpool’s shores, the vessel, its passengers and the Pier Head audience will be part of a stunning and unforgettable patriotic send-off which is not to be missed.
The finale weekend of Liverpool’s ‘One Magnificent City’ will also see the glitz and glamour of bygone ages come to life as a bespoke version of Wayne Hemingway MBE’s highly acclaimed Vintage Festival comes to town.
‘Vintage on the Docks’ hosted at The Albert Dock will celebrate the fashion, music, film and food that have travelled across the Atlantic over the ages – from the decadent dresses of the 20s to the swinging songs of the 60s.
Peter Cronin, director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, said: “We are very excited to be working with the city council, Wayne Hemingway and our waterfront partners in making One Magnificent City an unforgettable event for all our visitors this summer.
“Albert Dock is proud to be at the heart of this monumental celebration, and when coupled with the International Mersey River Festival, Northern Boat Show, Red Bull Harbour Reach, Tate Liverpool’s new exhibition – Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots and the landmark 25th anniversary of the Beatles Story, 2015 is shaping up to be one of our busiest and most exciting years to date.”
The weekend festivities will also give visitors the chance to ‘Eat the Atlantic’as part of a giant free food festival on Mann Island. Food demonstrations, street theatre and workshops will span the world famous waterfront offering a variety of speciality food paying tribute to the dishes from both sides of the pond.
Concluding the magnificent Independence Day celebrations will be a recreation of Cunard’s first ever transatlantic crossing. Its flagship RMS Queen Mary 2 will set sail from Liverpool Pier Head, mimicking the original journey of RMS Britannia from Liverpool to Boston which first set sail on 4 July 1840 – although the 2015 version will end up in New York. The historic maiden voyage marked Liverpool as the birthplace of passenger shipping and started a new era for international travel.
On Sunday 5 July, 175 vintage and futuristic vehicles from British and the US will create a ‘Classic Car Cavalcade’ as they take a land cruise through the city streets. The parade will consist of car enthusiasts, clubs and collectors and will follow a route taking in famous Liverpool landmarks along the way such as the Chinese Arch, the city’s two iconic cathedrals and St George’s Hall.
“Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “The city has deep historical and cultural connections with the USA, born from the shipping industry and the great docks. We wanted to work with an artist who could mine this creative history and bring a new story to the city and we are delighted with the programme which Wayne has developed.
“This city has always been a magnet for great thinkers, poets and entrepreneurs and once again we will showcase this to the world.”
To represent your city on the catwalk and be part of Liverpool’s Guinness World Record-breaking runway or to enter your vintage vehicle to cruise the city’s famous streets as part of the classic cavalcade, please register at www.onemagnificentcity.co.uk
This summer’s seven week celebrations will also include a series of art and history exhibitions hosted in Liverpool’s famous museums and art galleries, city-wide photography exhibitions, gigantic audio and visual projections coming to life across the city, as well as tall ships, live music and street performers taking over the waterfront.
For all the latest information on events visit www.onemagnificentcity.co.uk or follow @OMCLpool on Twitter and One Magnificent City Liverpool on Facebook.
