New strategy to attract, develop and grow more major cultural, sports and business events in Liverpool City Region

Liverpool City Region is on a mission to attract more major events under a new strategy agreed at today’s Combined Authority meeting.  

Liverpool and the wider City Region enjoy a global reputation for delivering high-quality, high-profile cultural, sporting and business events such as Eurovision, the Open Championship and the Labour Party Conference.

The sector generates an estimated £900m a year for the City Region, creating jobs, raising the area’s profile and fostering civic pride and wellbeing. But the global market for attracting major events is becoming increasingly competitive leading to today’s approval of a more unified, proactive approach.

Aligning major cultural, sporting, and business events and recognising their role in tourism and investment, the new overarching strategy aims to position Liverpool and the City Region as the UK’s leading destination for international events, the most progressive in developing new event concepts, and the most straightforward for commissioners and funders to work with.

The Liverpool City Region visitor economy is worth £6.2bn each year with events and sports tourism contributing between 10 to 15% of the total.

In 2027 Liverpool , St Helens, and Knowsley will welcome the Tour de France with a stage finish in Liverpool City Centre expected to attract huge crowds.

Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will also host five UEFA EURO 2028 matches, and Liverpool is currently bidding for the 2030 World Gymnastics Championships and is part of the UK bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035.

Across the wider City Region, this year alone Sefton will host The Open at Royal Birkdale, the iconic Grand National at Aintree, and is investing in an ambitious events programme celebrating Southport’s ‘Elegantly Eccentric’ spirit.  Halton will also be drawing new audiences with their Made in Halton cultural programme.

The new Major Event Strategy aims to capitalise on recent successes, including last year’s World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, and grow events that celebrate the region’s identity and diversity – showcasing the City Region’s strengths as it seeks to increase foreign direct investment by 25% by 2030.

Building on the complex work already undertaken by multiple partners and funders to secure major events, the strategy will include the Combined Authority, local authorities, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the private sector, and national bodies such as UK Sport and Arts Council England.

Coordination and reporting will be led by the Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership (LCRDP), providing strategic oversight and alignment across the region.

By adopting a single vision across sport, culture, and business, it creates a framework which includes the existing Major Sports Events Strategy, overseen by the Sport Liverpool Board, and new strategies for business and culture, which are due in the Spring. These strategies will be complementary but will reflect the differences between these types of events and their impact.

It will also provide flexibility for each of the three areas to attract, grow and develop smaller-scale events which can engage communities, increase participation and improve health and wellbeing.

Director of Culture Liverpool and Associate Director of Culture for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Claire McColgan CBE, said: “This strategy marks a significant step forward in how we build on the Liverpool City Region’s world class reputation for delivering major events. By bringing culture, sport and business together under a single, clear vision, we are strengthening our ability to compete on a global stage while staying true to the distinctive places, creativity and communities that define our region.

“Crucially, the strategy recognises that different events need different approaches. It provides a strong framework for securing major international opportunities, while also giving partners the flexibility to grow smaller, community focused events that increase participation, improve wellbeing and build local pride.

“Through close collaboration with local authorities, businesses and national partners, this unified approach will ensure major events continue to deliver lasting economic, cultural and social benefits for people right across the City Region.”

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “We’ve shown the world what the Liverpool City Region can do when it comes to major events, from Eurovision to The Open Golf Championship, and every time we’ve delivered.
“But this is a competitive global market, and if we want to keep winning the biggest events, we have to be organised, ambitious and easy to work with. That’s why this strategy brings everyone together, so we can go out and make the case for our region with one clear voice.

“We know that major events are about more than a weekend of headlines. They bring jobs, investment and pride to our communities, and they help us tell our story to the world. That’s what this is about: backing our strengths, opening new doors, and making sure the benefits are felt right across the whole City Region.”