Carnival returns to the streets of Liverpool this weekend as Brazilica prepares to bring Rio-style colour and music to the city centre.
The 10th annual Brazilica – the UK’s biggest Brazilian Samba Carnival – is a three-day festival of all things Latin American, promising pulsating samba rhythms, fantastic food, entertaining and thought-provoking film, and not forgetting dazzling carnival costumes.
And one of the highlights of the entire festival is the Carnival Parade, taking place this Saturday 15 July.
Thousands of people are expected to line the streets to watch the parade as it makes its way from Abercromby Square to Williamson Square, filling the air with colour, music and fun as it passes by in a blaze of feathers, sequins and energetic samba bands.
Starting from Abercromby Square at 8pm, the parade will turn on to Oxford Street and then left on to Hope Street. It turns right by the Philharmonic pub and will then follow Hardman Street downhill before moving on to Bold Street. The Parade will then continue in to Church Street, before finishing in Williamson Square – a new location for 2017.
The Parade will be led by the newly-crowned Carnival Queen, who will be chosen during a hotly-fought competition evening at PANAM on the Albert Dock on Friday 14 July.
This year, there will be music and dance from more than a dozen amazing Samba bands including Grupo Sambafriq, Katumba, Paraiso School of Samba, G.R.E.S. Cidade Brilhaute, Manchester School of Samba, Liverpool Samba School, Baque Ogun, Oxiris Wirral School of Samba, Som de Meio, Arco Iris, Karamba Samba, Batala Mersey and Worldwide Samba Drummers & Preston Samba Dancers, ensuring the parade will capture true Brazilian flare, colour and carnival spirit!
Meanwhile the samba party will continue until the early hours with the official Brazilica After Party taking place at Camp and Furnace on Saturday 15 July from 10pm – 4am, featuring carnival DJs and live music. Entry £5.
Brazilica has become one of the flagship events of the year in Liverpool’s festival calendar, attracting over 60,000 visitors to the city centre, and organisers Liverpool Carnival Company have lots in store to celebrate their 10th anniversary year.
This year’s Brazilica runs from Friday 14 July to Sunday 16 July and has a new venue for 2017 – The Pier Head Village, where the Main Stage will be alive with festival beats during the day on Saturday 15 July.
São Paulo 10-piece Bixiga 70, which has added Brazilica to its European tour dates, will be among those performing at the Pier Head Village stage. Afrosamba a UK-based band paying homage to the great names of Afro-Brazilian Jazz, Papa JACA, saxophonist and songwriter Sam Qureshi and his seven-piece band Sam Q’s Nightpatrol, Portuguese vocalist Suéli Gil and her band, and singer/songwriter Aleh Ferreira are also on a packed programme for the day.
Maeve Morris, festival director, said:
“This is the 10th anniversary of Brazilica and we can promise Liverpool a fantastic carnival atmosphere all weekend, with a non-stop party on the main stage at our new location at the Pier Head Village down on the marvellous Mersey waterfront.
“The Carnival Parade on Saturday evening is always a real highlight of Brazilica, and I promise this year will be no exception with a host of brilliant samba and carnival bands and some truly fantastic costumes on display making it a must-see event.”
For details of the full Brazilica 2017 programme be sure to check out the Brochure: http://bit.ly/2tuw3LF
Keep up to date with all Brazilica Festival activity at:
www.facebook.com/brazilicafestival
Twitter – @BrazilicaFest
