Culture
Liverpool is brimming with culture and heritage. The city not only has a celebrated past as a mercantile hub and gateway but is now also a vital destination for lovers of art, theatre and museums:
Art
- Tate Liverpool is one of the largest galleries of modern and contemporary art outside London.
- The Liverpool Walker Art gallery presents a stunning collection of paintings and sculpture, from the 13th century to the present day.
- Liverpool’s creative hub, the Bluecoat showcases talent across visual art, music, dance, live art and literature.
- The Lady Lever Art Gallery houses one of the most beautiful collections of fine and decorative art in the UK.
Museums
- The new museum of Liverpool opened on 19 July 2011 and is the largest newly-built national museum in Britain for more than a century, housed in a landmark new building at Liverpool’s Pier Head.
- Uncover objects from the Titanic, find out about life at sea and learn about the port of Liverpool at the The Merseyside Maritime Museum.
- Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery at the International Slavery Museum.
Performance
- The 11,000 seat Echo Arena Liverpool situated on the Waterfront is an award winning venue regularly staging sell-out shows from international artists.
- Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse together make up a single engine for artistic adventure and audience involvement. In recent years they have been on a remarkable journey, described as “a theatrical renaissance on Merseyside” (Observer)
- Liverpool Philharmonic is home to the world class Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and is one of the UK’s most forward-looking music organisations.
Tourism
Few cities in the world can boast Liverpool’s tourist offering. It has some of the best amenities and attractions for culture vultures and business travellers alike.
National tourism agency VisitBritain discovered that more than 2.1m overseas visitors were attracted to the Northwest in 2010, mainly by the city’s potent mix of “sociability, soccer and seaside entertainment". They also discovered that Liverpool is 5th in the top ten UK holiday destinations leading the way not only in the Northwest but also in the English regions.
The reasons for Liverpool’s success are diverse. For some it’s our maritime history, world-beating musical heritage, two Premiership football teams and two majestically different cathedrals which provide the initial draw.
Others find the attraction of our superb restaurants and hotels – which cater for every budget – or the £1bn Liverpool One Shopping Centre the main incentive for a visit.
And then there are the world-class museums, galleries and theatres, as well as stunning architecture and the spectacular Unesco World Heritage Waterfront.
And from July 2011 there was another major addition to the city’s cultural offering when the £72m Museum of Liverpool opened.
To summarise Liverpool offers a lively mix of culture, heritage, sport and shopping.
For more information visit: www.visitliverpool.com