2010 was a blend of the new, traditional and well-loved classics, as Liverpool hosted the ‘MOBO Awards’, held a grand outdoor celebration for the ‘Lord Mayor’s Pageant’ and welcomed the return of the annual ‘Mathew Street Festival’.
MOBOS
For the first time ever, Liverpool hosted the annual MOBO Awards at the Echo Arena in October 2010. A defining moment for the city, since this was the second time only the ceremony had been held anywhere else outside of London. Founded in 1996 by Kanya King, CBE, MOBO has grown to become Europe’s leading black music brand – celebrating diverse music genres by honouring established and up-and-coming artists.
Hosted by Alesha Dixon and Reggie Yates, the star-studded show included performances from JLS, Travie McCoy, Mark Ronson, N-Dubz, Jay Sean and Nelly, with an exclusive grand finale by Tinchy Stryder; and a little help from friends Tinie Tempah, Professor Green, Devlin and Giggs.
Kanya King went on to say, “We are all very excited about celebrating MOBO’s 15th birthday in Liverpool and bringing the Awards to this vibrant city recognised for its outstanding contribution to music, culture and creativity.”
Lord Mayor’s Pageant
In June 2010, a celebration of colour and creativity took the streets for Liverpool’s Lord Mayor’s Pageant. The environmentally-friendly event included an array of pedestrian, pedalled and pushed performances to promote the city’s year of Health and Wellbeing. All structures involved innovative designs to further the message of pedal power and green energy.
1,300 participants creatively responded to the theme ‘Healthy Mind: Healthy Body’ through an assortment of spectacular costumes, music, dance and entertainment which showcased the uniquely diverse communities that exist within Liverpool’s neighbourhoods. The parade and outdoor activities welcomed fun for all the family, with over 25,000 spectators enjoying the brass bands, comedy chefs, Tai Chi, snail racing and giant juggling!
The celebrations took place throughout the city centre and involved 63 community groups, 40 local and national artists and organisations, and partnerships with Movema, Hope St, Brouhaha, Kinetika, Walk the Plank and Barracudas.
Mathew Street Festival
Back for its annual celebrations, Mathew Street Festival took over the city centre once again for its 18th birthday with an epic weekend of music and performance.
Providing over 80 hours of live music across seven outdoor stages and 40 indoor venues, the crowds were not disappointed this August bank holiday. In a nod to the Golden anniversary of the famous four, over 300,000 people were treated to every song on every Beatles album played live, back to back, for the first time in history. The extensive playlists continued with music fans singing in unison to popular tunes from the Boomtown Rats, Bay City Rollers, Connie Lush and many more Liverpool-based bands.
Attracting acts from every part of the globe, covering a diverse range of genres and paying tribute to monumental moments in music history – including Live Aid’s 25th Anniversary and a special tribute to hosting the 2010 MOBO Awards – Mathew Street Festival truly showcased the city as it bid to become the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music.
