Liverpool is likely to get a £40m boost as tens of thousands of Eurovision fans descend on the city for the annual song contest next week.
Liverpool, which sacked Glasgow to host after last year’s winner Ukraine was unable to hold the event amid the Russian invasion, expects an influx of visitors.
Joanne Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, has promised the “greatest party ever” and a campaign is underway to create the world’s biggest chant, set to the Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends, on the day of the end as an expression of solidarity with Ukraine.
“Not only will people from all over the world see this iconic event, but we also expect an additional 100,000 visitors to stay and enjoy our fantastic region, which of course means a huge boost in visitor spending,” said Janice Mears. , Director of Business Growth for the Liverpool City Region Growth Company.
The city’s time as the ‘Pop Capital of the World’ is expected to generate around £28m in spending from overseas tourists visiting Liverpool, while visitors from across the UK will add at least another £12m. sterling pounds.
The NatWest bank forecast, which was based on domestic and international visitor spending data from Visit Britain, includes spending on hotels, accommodation and entertainment.
The semifinals of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 9 and 11, with the final on May 13.
UK Hospitality has estimated that a combination of King Charles’s coronation, a series of bank holidays and the Eurovision competition could provide an extraordinary £1bn boost for the sector this month.
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“May has the potential to be a landmark month for the hospitality sector, which is poised for one of its busiest times in recent memory,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industry body.
“We know that the British public flocks to the big events and we hope that the coronation and Eurovision will be no different.”