The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest provided a great opportunity to highlight all European communities in Liverpool and the wider Liverpool City Region, to work together and involve everyone in our colourful culture.
We believe that this was a perfect launchpad for the new annual Liverpool European Festival as European culture continues to shape the city of Liverpool.
The concept for the festival arose from the very simple question: how much do local residents really know about the Liverpool European communities? Based on the number of registrations to EU Settlement Scheme, there are 40,000 Europeans living in Liverpool still holding their national passports. Coming to Liverpool, a City of Sanctuary, we found our new homes, we became part of local communities, we started life-long friendships, but we also brought our culture with us. We all represent our own culture as its inseparable from our identity. Many European migrant communities in the city continue to celebrate their traditions but it seems like they are often accessible only to those who are from that specific country. This is when we thought ‘Let’s open up and celebrate our culture together!’ – and this is how the Liverpool European Festival came to life!
The Eurovision Song Contest brought us all together through music, but we believe that there is a lot of more to enjoy when it comes to European cultural heritage. Together with our partners we want to show you the uniqueness of our culture through dance, films, and heritage. The celebration of Liverpool European Festival began on the 9th May (Europe Day) at Liverpool Town Hall, where the programmed for the festival events were officially presented.
We hope that this will be the first of an annual festival and become an addition to Liverpool’s cultural festival calendar.
For more information on the festival, please visit liverpooleuropeanfestival.co.uk
Family friendly events, language classes, social meetings – local European organisations have a lot to offer. If you’d like to learn more, click here to see the full list of organisations involved.
Join the conversation:
Facebook @LiverpoolEuropeanFestival
Twitter @LivEuropeFest
Instagram @liverpool_european_festival
