The One Magnificent City celebration is coming to an end with a waterfront event like no other. To celebrate the first Transatlantic cruise crossing by Cunard’s Britannia 175 years ago, Liverpool is hosting a waterfront celebration on 4 and 5 July.

From the after dark culture bonanza during LightNight and the Cunard’s Three Queens to a hand-painted duck trail and a Maritime Festival, the city has embraced its sea-faring past in spectacular style.

The final farewell to the seven-week celebration will see the waterfront transformed into a vintage party to celebrate 175 years of cruise travel across the Atlantic. Renowned designer Wayne Hemingway is curating the festival, which will see three distinct celebrations take over the waterfront on 4 and 5 July – all against the backdrop of the Queen Mary 2, which returns to the city to recreate the original voyage to the US 175 years ago.

Liverpool will try to set a Guinness World Record when over 5,000 models are expected to take part in the Very Big Catwalk on 4 July – and the public are invited to dress to impress and head down to the Pier Head to take part.

Claire McColgan, assistant director, culture and tourism at Liverpool City Council, says: “It’s a culmination of a fantastic seven weeks and it is fitting to celebrate 175 years. We’ve never done a big fashion event in this city as a major event and this feels like it’s a long time coming. This city is known for its fashion and music and its ability to have a great party. Everyone needs to come dressed to the nines.”

The catwalk will appear alongside a Classic Car Cavalcade, featuring over 175 classic cars and a handpicked selection of modern supercars. The night will end with a Disco on the Dock and a fireworks display as the Queen Mary 2 leaves the river to recreate the first sailing from Liverpool to Boston and Halifax.

Meanwhile, Wayne Hemingway’s Vintage Festival will take over Albert Dock with stalls selling clothes, arts and crafts and everything in between.

Finally, sandwiched between the two events is the Eat the Atlantic Festival. A food festival curated by innovative chef Simon Preston, the food stalls will showcase local companies’ wares with an American twist.

Highlights include an American coffee cart serving Sedge – an espresso with a twist of lemon made famous by the Beverley Hills Cops films, traditional American ice cream, a burger stand serving patties with sunny side up eggs, hash browns and truffle mushroom mayonnaise, and even a special Mississippi Mud Pie.

Simon says the festival will have a fishy focus.

“Above the waves we’re celebrating this epoch-changing event, this connection between two continents,” he explains. “Beneath the waves it’s something that’s been happening since the dawn of time. I do think it’s an incredible story to tell the journey of the salmon’s 5,000-mile journey across the Atlantic through food, storytelling and street theatre and scientists from the University of Liverpool.”

Local bakers are currently cooking up replicas of some of Liverpool and New York’s most iconic buildings in cake form, from the Empire State Building to Crosby’s Another Place sculptures. Visitors will be able to see a giant map created using the cakes on Sunday 5 July at Mann Island.

Claire McColgan, meanwhile, says the event is the latest in Liverpool’s big festival resurgence, and more is to come over the summer months.

“It has been truly international to make this work and the level of collaboration has been brilliant,” she says. “It’s the end of an incredible few weeks which have been all about ships. But we haven’t got time to be sad, because it’s straight into planning for the city’s music festivals!”

 

 

Festival Fringe

Alongside the catwalk, classic cars, food feast and vintage festival, a host of fringe events will be taking place throughout the city on 4 and 5 July.

Claire McColgan says: “This is how far culture has come in this city. It’s not just the city leading on events, but private enterprises like Liverpool ONE. It’s stretching the event’s footprint and it’s brilliant.”

 

Paradise at The Garage

Wayne Hemingway and DJ Greg Wilson give a nod to New York’s dance music culture with a club night on 4 July at Baltic Triangle venue The Garage. Expect music from both sides of the Atlantic in this homage to 1970s club culture.

 

Tate Liverpool

The Albert Dock culture hub will host live jazz performances on 4 and 5 July, including jazz and funk music and an American-themed brunch menu. The retro event is being held alongside the new Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots exhibition.

 

Ghosts in the American Dream

Liverpool writer and journalist, David Charters will be holding a talk entitled Ghosts in the American Dream on 4 July at Liverpool Register Office. The talk will look at Native American history including icons such as Sitting Bull and Geronimo. Entry is £5 and the talk begins at 2.30pm.

 

Liverpool Cathedral

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will hold two special concerts on 4 July. It is a fitting event, given the orchestra is also celebrating its 175th anniversary, and will take place in the spectacular surroundings of the cathedral.

 

Gianni Russo

Not only is Gianni Russo a star of film classic, The Godfather, he also performed on Cunard liners with Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly. As part of the Transatlantic 175 celebrations he will take part in a Q&A session at Static Gallery after a one-off screening of the film at Odeon Liverpool ONE.

 

The Crossing

Part of a ‘sound scape’, The Crossing in Liverpool ONE is a sea-themed sound installation created by Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 and formerly The Human League. On 5 July the installation will be removed, so the weekend is the last chance to enjoy this unique experience.