Early figures released by Merseyside Police and shared by the Liverpool Express have begun to show the extent of the positive economic impact hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest has had on the city.
According to the early figures, over half a million additional visitors were in Liverpool during the course of the contest’s two-week takeover of the Merseyside city, way above and beyond the initial estimates of 100,000.
Furthermore, figures from Liverpool ONE, the outdoor shopping precinct in the city adjacent to the waterfront area, saw a 32% growth in sales figures compared to the same period in 2022. Some days saw trading increases of up to 53%.
Over to the Eurovision Village at the Pier Head, over 250,000 visitors enjoyed the concerts and events at the fan park during its nine day opening period, between May 5th and 13th.
Local councillor Harry Doyle shared his joy at the initial figures and Liverpool’s hosting of the contest; “the last two weeks have been a whirlwind of blue and yellow as we have welcomed people from across the world to celebrate with us on behalf of Ukraine. Anyone who got the chance to be in the city centre over the past few days knows how busy it was and the incredible buzz it generated.”
“We always knew Liverpool would sparkle during Eurovision and now we just hope those people who came and were part of history come back again and bring their friends!”
The CEO of the Liverpool BID company, Bill Addy, added; “The lasting memory of Eurovision in Liverpool will be one of joy. To see so many people enjoy the city has given it such a buzz and that’s the message we have had from our businesses. They’re telling us they have seen a real boost in people coming in and just wanting to enjoy the atmosphere.
“The private sector, through BID, made a six figure investment to help ensure the benefit of Eurovision would be felt throughout the city centre. We’ve spent a lot of time with our city centre businesses helping to prepare for this, from window dressing and artwork to karaoke displays and language classes, so it’s great to see it paying off.”
“We know that the impact of Eurovision isn’t purely in the two weeks of celebrations, but for the 160m+ people watching at home and the projected economic impact of £250m over the next three years.”
The news follows similar positive economic impacts felt in Turin, Italy, following their hosting of the 2022 contest. It was eventually reported that 55,000 visitors came to Turin for the contest and an economic boost of approximately €100 million was felt in the Piedmont city.
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