Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team is currently engaged in Christmas planning for 2024. After a highly successful event in 2023, which attracted over 750,000 visitors to the Christmas Market outside St George’s Hall, the council is exploring the possibility of expanding the offering. It is looking at ways to create a festive atmosphere at the Pier Head area in addition to the market at the Hall. The tender process is now open for organisations to suggest ideas for an “Ice Festival” with an ice rink and other activities keeping with the site’s surroundings.
An independent report on the 2023 Christmas market indicates that 93% of visitors surveyed would return. The survey also found that 100% of respondents enjoyed the event, praising public transport links and the friendly staff. Nearly 50% of visitors were on day trips, with 18% having arranged an overnight stay. Couples aged between 25 to 34 years constituted the largest group of visitors. Over 47% were first-time participants in Liverpool’s Christmas markets. Among visitors, 56% spent money in a city centre restaurant. The second most popular activity was city-centre shopping. The survey found that the event could grow by adding more craft stalls and additional vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, stated that the Christmas market had created a lot of buzz last year. Footfall had risen since its November opening, and people made specific plans to attend the event. Within the compact site, over three-quarters of a million visitors were accommodated in 36 days. Now it is time to expand the event and share the Christmas spirit throughout the city centre. A festive event specialist with sufficient experience is required to offer an experience that would attract more visitors and reinforce Liverpool’s reputation as an ideal venue for getting into the Christmas spirit. The tender process closes on Friday 12 April 2024, and information about it is available on the Gov.uk website.
Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More