The evening started off with a spectacular ‘People’s Celebration’ along the Mersey waterfront and newlook Pier Head – a multimedia sound and light spectacle and the first event on the iconic World Heritage site since the regeneration of the Pier Head. The window of the newly-clad Museum of Liverpool acted as a giant cinema screen, showing a filmic review of 2008 which also played on other giant screens at the new Mersey Ferry terminal and the ECHO Arena Liverpool on Kings Dock.
The event – which also marked Liverpool’s transition from 2008 to its Year of the Environment – included a lantern installation on the new LeedsLiverpool canal link, an arts and crafts market along the piazza at Mann Island and drum and dance performances. There were also ceremonial handovers to the cities of Linz and Vilnius, the European Capital’s of Culture ’09, and to representatives from London 2012 to mark the launch of Britain’s Cultural Olympiad, as well as a mass sing along of the anthemic ‘All Together Now’. The show concluded with a pyrotechnic finale fired from ships on the river.
The 7pm finale signaled the start of Liverpool’s Transition Light Night with many of the city’s world renowned cultural facilities offering visitors and residents a unique and largely free late night experience.
The Merseyside Maritime Museum, Tate Liverpool, the Bluecoat, Open Eye, FACT, Liverpool Biennial, the Contemporary Urban Centre and The Flying Picket were all be open, and the city centre’s high quality range of restaurants, bars and clubs were geared up and ready to receive the huge numbers expected in the city on this significant night.
Specially commissioned street theatre, music and dance performances brought an extra buzz of excitement to the city’s public spaces, pedestrian and shopping zones.
The People’s Celebration was devised by Liverpool Culture Company and produced by Walk the Plank.
