Liverpool

Liverpoolis acathedralandportcityandmetropolitan boroughinMerseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of theMersey Estuary, near theIrish Sea, 178 miles (286 km) northwest ofLondon. With a population of 496,770 (in 2022),Liverpool is the fifth largest city in the United Kingdom and the administrative headquarters of theLiverpool City Region, acombined authorityarea with a population of over 1.5 million.
Established as a borough inLancashirein 1207, Liverpool became significant in the late 17th century when thePort of Liverpoolwas heavily involved in theAtlantic slave trade. The port also imported cotton for theLancashire textile mills, and became a major departure point for English and Irish emigrants to North America. Liverpool rose to global economic importance at the forefront of theIndustrial Revolutionin the 19th century and was home to thefirst intercity railway, the first non-combustible warehouse system (theRoyal Albert Dock), and a pioneeringelevated electrical railway; it was granted city status in 1880 and was moved from Lancashire to the newly created county of Merseyside in1974. It entered a period of decline in the mid-20th century, but has experienced regeneration since theEuropean Unionselected it as theEuropean Capital of Culturein 2008,which was reported to have generated over £800 million for the local economy within a year.
Theeconomy of Liverpoolis diversified and encompasses tourism,culture,maritime,hospitality,healthcare,life sciences, advanced manufacturing,creative, anddigitalsectors.The city is home to the UK's second highest number ofart galleries,national museums,listed buildings, andparks and open spaces, with only London having more.It is often used as a filming location due to itsarchitecture, and was the fifth most visited UK city by foreign tourists in 2022.It has produced numerousmusicians, most notablythe Beatles, and artists from the city have had more UK No. 1 hit singles than anywhere else.It has also producedacademics,actors,artists,comedians,filmmakers,poets,scientists,sportspeople, andwriters. It is the home ofPremier Leaguefootball teamsEvertonandLiverpool. The world's oldest still-operating mainline train station,Liverpool Lime Street, is in the city centre; it is also served by the undergroundMerseyrailnetwork. The city's port was the fourth largest in the UK in 2023, with numerous shipping and freight lines having headquarters and offices there.
Residents of Liverpool are often called "Scousers" in reference toscouse, a local stew made popular by sailors in the city, while "Scouse" is also the most common name given to thelocal accent. The city's cultural and ethnic diversity is a result of attracting immigrants, especially from Ireland, Scandinavia, and Wales; it is also the home of a largeblackandChinese community, and the firstmosquein England.
The name comes from theOld Englishlifer, meaning thick or muddy water, andpōl, meaning a pool or creek, and is first recorded around 1190 asLiuerpul.According to theCambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, "The original reference was to a pool or tidal creek now filled up into which two streams drained".The place appearing asLeyrpole, in a legal record of 1418, may also refer to Liverpool.Other origins of the name have been suggested, including "elverpool", a reference to the large number of eels in theMersey.The adjective "Liverpudlian" was first recorded in 1833.
Although the Old English origin of the name Liverpool is beyond dispute, claims are sometimes made that the name Liverpool is of Welsh origin, but these are without foundation. The Welsh name for Liverpool isLerpwl, from a former English local form Leerpool. This is a reduction of the form "Leverpool" with the loss of the intervocalic [v] (seen in other English names and words e.g. Daventry (Northamptonshire) > Danetry, never-do-well > ne’er-do-well).
In the 19th century, some Welsh publications used the name "Lle'r Pwll" ("(the) place (of) the pool"), a reinterpretation ofLerpwl, probably in the belief that "Lle'r Pwll" was the original form.
Another name, which is widely known even today, isLlynlleifiad, again a 19th-century coining. "Llyn" is pool, but "lleifiad" has no obvious meaning. G. Melville Richards (1910–1973), a pioneer of scientific toponymy in Wales, in "Place Names of North Wales",does not attempt to explain it beyond noting that "lleifiad" is used as a Welsh equivalent of "Liver".
A derivative form of a learned borrowing into Welsh (*llaf) of Latinlāma(slough, bog, fen) to give "lleifiad" is possible, but unproven.
In theMiddle Ages, Liverpool existed firstly as farmland within theWest Derby Hundredbefore growing in to a small town of farmers, fishermen and tradesmen and tactical army base forKing John of England. The town was planned with its owncastle, although due to outbreaks of disease and its subordinance to the nearbyRoman port of Chester, the town's growth and prosperity stagnated until the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Substantial growth took place in the mid-late 18th century when the town became the most heavily involved European port in theAtlantic slave trade.
King John'sletters patentof 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool (then spelt asLiuerpul). There is no evidence that the place had previously been a centre of any trade. The creation of the borough was probably due to King John deciding it would be a convenient place to embark men and supplies for hisIrish campaigns, in particular John'sIrish campaign of 1209.The original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted aroyal charter, making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in the shape of a double cross: Bank Street (nowWater Street),Castle Street,Chapel Street,Dale Street, Juggler Street (nowHigh Street), Moor Street (nowTithebarn Street) and Whiteacre Street (nowOld Hall Street).Liverpool Castlewas built before 1235, it survived until it was demolished in the 1720s.By the middle of the 16th century, the population was still around 600, although this was likely to have fallen from an earlier peak of 1000 people due to slow trade and the effects of theplague.
In the 17th century, there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for control of the town were waged during theEnglish Civil War, including a brief siege in 1644.In 1699, the same year as its first recordedslave ship,Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa,Liverpool was made a parish byAct of Parliament. But arguably, the legislation of 1695 that reformed the Liverpool council was of more significance to its subsequent development.SinceRoman timesnearbyChesteron theRiver Deehad been the region's principal port on theIrish Sea. However, as the Dee began tosilt up, maritime trade from Chester became increasingly difficult and shifted towards Liverpool on the neighbouringRiver Mersey. The first of theLiverpool dockswas constructed in 1715, and the system of docks gradually grew into a large interconnected system.
As trade from theWest Indies, including sugar, surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as theRiver Deecontinued to silt up, Liverpool began to grow with increasing rapidity. The first commercialwet dockwas built in Liverpool in 1715.Substantial profits from theslave tradeand tobacco helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow, although several prominent local men, includingWilliam Rathbone,William RoscoeandEdward Rushton, were at the forefront of thelocal abolitionist movement.
The 19th century saw Liverpool rise to global economic importance. Pioneering,world first, technology and civic facilities launched in the city to serve the accelerating population which was fuelled by an influx of ethnic and religious communities from all around the world.
By the start of the 19th century, a large volume of trade was passing through Liverpool, and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. In 1830, Liverpool andManchesterbecame the first cities to have an intercity rail link, through theLiverpool and Manchester Railway. The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during the 1840s whenIrishmigrants began arriving by the hundreds of thousands as a result of theGreat Famine. While many Irish settled during this time in the city, a large percentage also emigrated to the United States or moved to the industrial centres ofLancashire, Yorkshire and theMidlands.
In her poetical illustration "Liverpool" (1832), which celebrates the city's worldwide commerce,Letitia Elizabeth Landonrefers specifically to theMacgregor Lairdexpedition to the Niger River, at that time in progress.This is to a painting bySamuel Austin,Liverpool, from the Mersey.
Britain was a major market for cotton imported from theDeep Southof the United States, which fed thetextile industryin the country. Given the crucial place cotton held in the city's economy, during theAmerican Civil WarLiverpool was, in the words of historianSven Beckert, "the most pro-Confederate place in the world outside theConfederacyitself".Liverpool merchants helped to bring out cotton from ports blockaded by theUnion Navy, built ships of war for theConfederacy, and supplied
theSouthwith military equipment and credit.
During the war, theConfederate Navyship, theCSSAlabama, was built atBirkenheadon the Mersey, and theCSSShenandoahsurrendered there (being the final surrender at the end of the war). The city was also the center of Confederate purchasing war materiel, including arms and ammunition, uniforms, and naval supplies to be smuggled byBritish blockade runners to the South.
For periods during the 19th century, the wealth of Liverpool exceeded that of London,and Liverpool'sCustom Housewas the single largest contributor to theBritish Exchequer.Liverpool was the only British city ever to have its ownWhitehalloffice.During this century, at least 40% of the world's entire trade passed through Liverpool.
In the early 19th century, Liverpool played a major role in theAntarcticsealingindustry, in recognition of whichLiverpool Beachin theSouth Shetland Islandsis named after the city.
As early as 1851, the city was described as "the New York of Europe".During the late 19th and early 20th century, Liverpool was attracting immigrants from across Europe. This resulted in the construction of a diverse array of religious buildings in the city for the new ethnic and religious groups, many of which are still in use today. TheDeutsche Kirche Liverpool,Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas,Gustav Adolf ChurchandPrinces Road Synagoguewere all established in the 1800s to serve Liverpool's growing German, Greek, Nordic and Jewish communities, respectively. One of Liverpool's oldest surviving churches,St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, served thePolish communityin its final years as a place of worship.
The 20th century saw Liverpool's established rank as a global economic powerhouse challenged. Its strategic location as an international seaport made it particularly vulnerable in twoWorld wars.Economic depressions(both in the United Kingdom and across the world), changinghousing patternsandcontainerisationin the maritime industry contributed to a downtrend in the city's productivity and prosperity. Despite this, the city's influence on global popular culture excelled and by the end of the century, the continuing process ofurban renewalpaved the way for the redefined modern city of the 21st century.
The period after theGreat Warwas marked by social unrest, as society grappled with the massive war losses of young men, as well as trying to re-integrate veterans into civilian life and the economy. Unemployment and poor living standards greeted many ex-servicemen.Union organisingandstrikestook place in numerous locations, including apolice strike in Liverpoolamong theCity Police. Numerouscolonial soldiersand sailors from Africa and India, who had served with theBritish Armed Forces, settled in Liverpool and other port cities. In June 1919, they were subject to attack by whites in racial riots; residents in the port includedSwedish immigrants, and both groups had to compete with native people from Liverpool for jobs and housing. In this period, race riots also took place in other port cities.
TheHousing Act 1919resulted in mass council housing being built across Liverpool during the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1920s and 1930s, as much as 15% of the city's population (around 140,000 people) was relocated from the inner-city to new purpose built, lower density suburban housing estates, based on the belief that this would improve their standard of living, though the overall benefits have been contested.Numerous private homes were also built during this era. During theGreat Depressionof the early 1930s, unemployment peaked at around 30% in the city. Liverpool was the site of Britain's firstprovincial airport, operating from 1930.
During theSecond World War, the critical strategic importance of Liverpool was recognised by bothHitlerandChurchill. The city was heavily bombed by the Germans, suffering ablitzsecond only to London's.The pivotalBattle of the Atlanticwas planned, fought and won from Liverpool.
TheLuftwaffemade 80air raids on Merseyside, killing 2,500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and theSeaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. Since 1952, Liverpool has been twinned withCologne, Germany, a city which also suffered severe aerial bombing during the war. In the 1950s and 1960s, much of the immediate reconstruction that took place in the city centre proved to be deeply unpopular. The historic portions of the city that had survived German bombing suffered extensive destruction during urban renewal. It has been argued that the so-called "Shankland Plan" of the 1960s, named after the town plannerGraeme Shankland, led to compromised town planning and vast road-building schemes that devastated and divided inner city neighbourhoods. Concretebrutalist architecture, compromised visions, botched projects and grand designs that were never realised became the subject of condemnation. HistorianRaphael Samuellabelled Graeme Shankland "the butcher of Liverpool".
A significantWest Indianblack community has existed in the city since the first two decades of the 20th century. Like most British cities and industrialised towns, Liverpool became home to a significant number ofCommonwealthimmigrants, beginning after World War I with colonial soldiers and sailors who had served in the area. More immigrants arrived after World War II, mostly settling in older inner-city areas such asToxteth, where housing was less expensive. The black population of Liverpool was recorded at 1.90% in 2011. In the2021 Census, 5.2% described themselves as black African, Caribbean, mixed white and black African, mixed white and Caribbean or 'other black'.
In the 1960s, Liverpool was the centre of the "Merseybeat" sound, which became synonymous withthe Beatlesand fellow Liverpudlian rock bands. Influenced by American rhythm and blues and rock music, they also in turn strongly affected American music. TheBeatlesbecame internationally known in the early 1960s and performedaround the world together; they were, and continue to be, the most commercially successful and musically influential band in popular history. Their co-founder, singer, and composerJohn Lennonwas killed in New York City in 1980.Liverpool Airportwas renamed after him in 2002, the first British airport to be named in honour of an individual.
Previously part of Lancashire, and a county borough from 1889, Liverpool became ametropolitan boroughwithin the newly created metropolitan county ofMerseyside, in 1974. From the mid-1970s onwards, Liverpool's docks and traditionalmanufacturing industriesdeclined due to restructuring of shipping and heavy industry, causing massive losses of jobs. The advent ofcontainerisationmeant that the city's docks became largely obsolete, and dock workers were made unemployed. By the early 1980s, unemployment rates in Liverpool were among the highest in the UK,standing at 17% by January 1982 although, this was about half the level of unemployment that had affected the city during the Great Depression some 50 years previously.During this period, Liverpool became a hub of fierce left-wing opposition to the central government in London.Liverpool in the 1980s has been labelled as Britain's 'shock city'. Once the acclaimed second city of theBritish Empirewhich rivalled the capital city in global significance, Liverpool had collapsed in to its 'nadir' at the depths ofpost-colonial,post-industrialBritain.In the late 20th century, Liverpool's economy began to recover. The late 1980s saw the opening of a regeneratedAlbert Dockwhich proved to be a catalyst for further regeneration.In the mid-1990s, the city enjoyed growth rates higher than the national average. At the end of the 20th century, Liverpool was concentrating on regeneration, a process that continues today.
Ongoing regeneration combined with the hosting of internationally significant events has helped to re-purpose Liverpool as one of the most visited, tourist orientated, cities in the United Kingdom. City leaders are focussing on long-term strategies to grow the city's population and economy, while national government explores the continuous potential for devolution in the city.
In 2002, QueenElizabeth IIandPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburghvisited Liverpool to mark theGolden Jubilee. On speaking to an audience atLiverpool Town Hall, the Queen recognised Liverpool as "one of the most distinctive and energetic parts of the United Kingdom", and paid tribute to the city's "major orchestras, world-class museums and galleries". She also acknowledged Liverpool's bid to become theEuropean Capital of Culture.To celebrate theGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth IIin 2002, the conservation charityPlantlifeorganised a competition to choosecounty flowers; thesea-hollywas Liverpool's final choice. The initiative was designed to highlight growing threats to the UK's flower species and also ask the public about which flowers best represented their county.
Capitalising on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, such asthe Beatles, as well as the city's world-class art galleries, museums and landmarks, tourism and culture have become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.
In 2004, property developerGrosvenorstarted theParadise Project, a £920 million development based onParadise Street. This produced one of the most significant changes to Liverpool's city centre since the post-war reconstruction. Renamed as 'Liverpool One,' the centre opened in May 2008.
In 2007, events and celebrations took place in honour of the 800th anniversary of the founding of the borough of Liverpool. Liverpool was designated as a jointEuropean Capital of Culturefor 2008. The celebrations included the erection ofLa Princesse, a large mechanical spider 20 metres high and weighing 37 tonnes, which represented the "eight legs" of Liverpool: honour, history, music, the Mersey, the ports, governance, sunshine and culture.La Princesseroamed the streets of the city during the festivities, and concluded by entering theQueensway Tunnel.
Spearheaded by the multi-billion-poundLiverpool ONE development, regeneration continued throughout the 2010s. Some of the most significant redevelopment projects included new buildings in theCommercial District,King's Dock,Mann Island, aroundLime Street, theBaltic Triangle,RopeWalks, andEdge Lane.
Changes to Liverpool's governance took place in 2014. The local authority ofLiverpool City Councildecided to pool its power and resources with surrounding boroughs through the formation of theLiverpool City Region Combined Authorityin a form ofdevolution. With a devolved budget granted bycentral government, the authority now oversees and invests in foremost strategic affairs throughout theLiverpool City Region, including major regeneration projects. The authority, along with Liverpool City Council itself, has embarked on long-term plans to grow the population and economy of the city.
By the 2020s, urban regeneration throughout the city continues.Liverpool Waters, a mixed-use development in the city's disused northern docklands, has been identified as one of the largest megaprojects in the UK's history.Everton's new stadiumatBramley-Moore Dockwas regarded as the largest single-site private sector development in the United Kingdom at the time of construction.
Major events, business and political conferences regularly take place in the city and form an important part of the economy. In June 2014, Prime MinisterDavid Cameronlaunched the International Festival for Business in Liverpool, the world's largest business event in 2014,and the largest in the UK since theFestival of Britainin 1951.TheLabour Partyhas chosen Liverpool numerous times since the mid 2010s for their annualLabour Party Conference. Liverpool hosted theEurovision Song Contest 2023.
Liverpool has been a centre of invention and innovation. Railways, transatlanticsteamships, municipal trams,and electric trains were all pioneered in Liverpool as modes of mass transit. In 1829 and 1836, the first railway tunnels in the world were constructed under Liverpool (Wapping Tunnel). From 1950 to 1951, the world's first scheduled passenger helicopter service ran between Liverpool andCardiff.
The firstSchool for the Blind,Mechanics' Institute,High School for Girls,council house,and Juvenile Courtwere all founded in Liverpool. Charities such as theRSPCA,NSPCC,Age Concern,Relate, andCitizen's Advice Bureauall evolved from work in the city.
The firstlifeboatstation, public bath and wash-house,sanitary act,medical officer for health (William Henry Duncan), district nurse,slum clearance,purpose-built ambulance,X-ray medical diagnosis,school of tropical medicine (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine), motorised municipal fire-engine,free school meal,cancer research centre,andzoonosisresearch centreall originated in Liverpool. The first British Nobel Prize was awarded in 1902 toRonald Ross, professor at the School of Tropical Medicine, the first school of its kind in the world.Orthopaedic surgerywas pioneered in Liverpool byHugh Owen Thomas,and modern medical anaesthetics byThomas Cecil Gray.
The world's first integratedsewer systemwas constructed in Liverpool byJames Newlands, appointed in 1847 as the UK's first borough engineer.Liverpool also founded the UK's firstUnderwriters'Associationand the firstInstitute of Accountants. The Western world's first financial derivatives (cotton futures) were traded on theLiverpool Cotton Exchangein the late 1700s.
In the arts, Liverpool was home to the first lending library (The Lyceum), athenaeum society (Liverpool Athenaeum), arts centre (Bluecoat Chambers),and public art conservation centre (National Conservation Centre).It is also home to the UK's oldest surviving classical orchestra (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra)and repertory theatre (Liverpool Playhouse).
In 1864,Peter Ellisbuilt the world's first iron-framed,curtain-walledoffice building,Oriel Chambers, which was a prototype of the skyscraper. The UK's first purpose-built department store wasCompton House, completed in 1867 for the retailer J.R. Jeffrey.It was the largest store in the world at the time.
Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annualGrand Olympic Festival. Devised byJohn HulleyandCharles Pierre Melly, these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook.The programme of the first modern Olympiad inAthensin 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics.In 1865, Hulley co-founded the National Olympian Association in Liverpool, a forerunner of theBritish Olympic Association. Its articles of foundation provided the framework for theOlympic Charter.
A concept devised by retail entrepreneurDavid Lewis, the firstChristmas grottoopened inLewis'sdepartment store in Liverpool in 1879.SirAlfred Lewis Jones, a shipowner, introduced bananas to the UK via Liverpool's docks in 1884.TheMersey Railway, opened in 1886, incorporated the world's first tunnel under a tidalestuaryand the world's first deep-level underground stations (Liverpool James Street railway station).
In 1889, borough engineerJohn Alexander Brodieinvented the football goal net. He was also a pioneer in the use ofpre-fabricatedhousingand oversaw the construction of the UK's first ring road (A5058) and intercity highway (East Lancashire Road), as well as theQueensway Tunnellinking Liverpool andBirkenhead. Described as "the eighth wonder of the world" at the time of its construction, it was the longest underwater tunnel in the world for 24 years.
In 1897, theLumière brothersfilmed Liverpool,including what is believed to be the world's firsttracking shot,taken from theLiverpool Overhead Railway, the world's first elevated electrified railway. The Overhead Railway was the first railway in the world to useelectric multiple units, employ automatic signalling, and install an escalator.
Liverpool inventorFrank Hornbywas a visionary in toy development and manufacture, producing three of the most popular lines of toys in the 20th century:Meccano,Hornby Model Railways(both in 1901), andDinky Toysin 1934.TheBritish Interplanetary Society, founded in Liverpool in 1933 by Phillip Ellaby Cleator, is the world's oldest existing organisation devoted to the promotion ofspaceflight. Its journal, theJournal of the British Interplanetary Society, is the longest-running astronautical publication in the world.
In 1999, Liverpool was the first city outside London to be awardedblue plaquesbyEnglish Heritagein recognition of the "significant contribution made by its sons and daughters in all walks of life".
For the purposes oflocal government, Liverpool is classified as ametropolitan boroughwith city status. The metropolitan borough is located within both the county ofMerseysideand theLiverpool City Region. Each of these geographical areas is treated as an administrative area with different levels of local governance applying to each.
Liverpool City Councilis the governing body solely for the Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool and performs functions that are standard of an EnglishUnitary Authority. 
TheLiverpool City Region Combined Authorityand theMayor of the Liverpool City Regionreserve major strategic powers over such things as transport, economic development and regeneration for the city along with the 5 surrounding boroughs of the Liverpool City Region. The Combined Authority has competency over areas which have been devolved by national government and are specific to the city region.
Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions to local governance apart from these two structures. Liverpool was administered byMerseyside County Councilbetween 1974 and 1986 and some residual aspects of organisation which date back to this time have survived. When the County Council was disbanded in 1986, most civic functions were transferred to Liverpool City Council. However, several authorities such as thepoliceandfire and rescue service, continue to be run at a county-wide level. The county of Merseyside, therefore, continues to exist as an administrative area for a few limited services only, while the capability and capacity of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is evolving over time.
The city also elects fivemembers of Parliament(MPs) to theWestminster Parliament, all Labour as of the 2024 general election.
Liverpool City Council operates under a constitution comprising 85 city councillors who are directly elected by the Liverpool electorate every 4 years and represent a variety of differentpolitical parties. The city councillors make decisions about local services for the city's people.
At each election, the political party that wins the majority of the 85 council seats leads the council for the following 4 years. The local leader of this party assumes the role of Leader of the City Council who then chairs a Cabinet of 9 councillors who are assigned specific responsibilities known as 'portfolios'.
The incumbent Leader of Liverpool City Council isCouncillor Liam Robinson, who represents theLabour Party, which secured a large majority at the2023 local election,the Leader is also a member of the Mayor of the Liverpool City Regions cabinet (Separate from the City Council Cabinet), at present Robinson holds the portfolio of Cabinet Member for Innovation.
The City Council's decisions and scrutiny of activities are undertaken by a number of different committees and panels which include the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Scrutiny Panels, Regulatory Committees and other committees. The day-to-day management of the council is carried out by the management team which includes the Chief Executive and several directors and senior officers. The management team works with the Cabinet and councillors to deliver strategic direction and priorities such as the budget and the City Plan.
Every four years, the city elects 85councillorsfrom 64 local councilwards.
During the2023 Liverpool City Council election, theLabour Partyconsolidated its control of Liverpool City Council, following on from the previous elections. Out of the total 85 City Council seats up for election, The Labour Party won 61 seats (53.13% of the electorate's total votes), theLiberal Democratswon 15 seats (21.61% of the votes), theGreen Partywon 3 seats (9.76% of the votes), the Liverpool Community Independents won 3 seats (4.64% of the votes) and theLiberal Partywon the remaining 3 seats (3.21% of the votes). TheConservative Party, the political party in power atnational government, had no representation on Liverpool City Council. Only 27.27% of the eligible Liverpool electorate turned out to vote.
Throughout most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Liverpool was a municipal stronghold ofToryism. However, support for the Conservative Party in recent times has been among the lowest in any part of Britain, particularly since themonetaristeconomic policies of former prime ministerMargaret Thatcher. After the1979 general election, many have claimed that her victory contributed to longstanding high unemployment and decline in the city.Liverpool is one of the Labour Party's key strongholds; however, the city has also seen hard times under Labour governments. Particularly in theWinter of Discontent(late 1978 and early 1979) when Liverpool suffered public sector strikes along with the rest of the United Kingdom, but also when it suffered the particularly humiliating misfortune of havinggrave-diggersgoing on strike, leaving the dead unburied for long periods.
In recent years,Liverpool City Councilbegan an extensive improvement program designed to ensure that the authority makes efficient use oftaxpayer's money and to encourage more business and investment in the city.Grosvenor Group, the property company responsible forLiverpool One, commended the changes as an "opportunity for bold thinking in liverpool".
In 2021, a highly critical government inspection and subsequent report of Liverpool City Council (referred to as the Caller report) identified multiple shortcomings at Liverpool City Council. TheSecretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government,Robert Jenricksent governmentcommissionersto oversee the City Council's highways, regeneration, property management, governance and financial decision-making. The authority was compelled to commit to a three-year improvement plan in which the entire structure of the council would be overhauled. As a result of the intervention, major structural changes at the City Council took place by the2023 United Kingdom local elections, which were labelled "the most unpredictable [elections] in the city's history". The number of electoral wards in the city was doubled from 30 to 64, while the overall number of City Councillors up for election was reduced from 90 to 85. In future, the council would also change to 'all out' elections every four years whereby every single City Councillor would be eligible for re-election at the same time. The role ofelected city mayorwas also abolished and the Council reverted to the previousLeader and Cabinetstyle of leadership. The outcome of the elections were seen not only as a test of how the general public would respond to the government intervention in the city, but also to 
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak's government as a whole.
CouncillorLiam Robinsonbecame the new Leader of Liverpool City Council at the 2023 City Council election. The Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel, chaired by theMayor of Liverpool City RegionSteve Rotheram, and including several high-profile figures with experience inlocal government, was established. The panel was tasked with directing the council's long-term future outside of government intervention measures and to advise on plans and priorities that the city should pursue.
In February 2008, Liverpool City Council was reported to be the worst-performing council in the country, receiving just a one-star rating (classified as inadequate). The main cause of the poor rating was attributed to the council's poor handling of tax-payer money, including the accumulation of a £20m shortfall while the city held the title ofEuropean Capital of Culture.In April 2024, theOffice for Local Governmentreleased a ranking of local authorities, placing Liverpool City Council 317th out of a possible 318.
TheLord Mayor of Liverpoolis an ancient ceremonial role. Councillors within Liverpool City Council (not the general public) elect the Lord Mayor annually, who then serves a one-year term. The Lord Mayor is styled as the "first citizen" and is chosen to represent the city at civic functions and engagements, promote it to the wider world, support local charities and community groups, attend religious events, meet delegates fromLiverpool's twin cities, chair council meetings and conferHonorary Freemen and associations.The Lord Mayor is also the presiding officer for Liverpool City Council full meetings.
. Liverpool is one of the six constituent boroughs of theLiverpool City Region. TheMayor of the Liverpool City Regionis directly every four years by residents of those six boroughs and oversees theLiverpool City Region Combined Authority. The Combined Authority is the top-tier administrative body for the local governance of the city region and is tasked with taking major strategic decisions on issues such as transport and investment, economic development, employment and skills, tourism, culture, housing and physical infrastructure. The current Mayor isSteve Rotheram.
Liverpool is included within fiveparliamentary constituencies, through which MPs are elected to represent the city inWestminster:Liverpool Riverside,Liverpool Walton,Liverpool Wavertree,Liverpool West DerbyandGarston and Halewood.At thelast general election, all were won by Labour with representation being fromKim Johnson,Dan Carden,Paula BarkerandIan Byrnerespectively.Due toboundary changesprior to the 2010 election, theLiverpool Garstonconstituency was merged with most ofKnowsley Southto form theGarston and Halewoodcross-boundary seat. At the most recent 2024 election, this seat was won byMaria Eagleof the Labour Party.
Liverpool has been described as having "the most splendid setting of any English city".At53°24′0″N2°59′0″W﻿ / ﻿53.40000°N 2.98333°W﻿ /53.40000; -2.98333(53.4, −2.98), 176 miles (283 kilometres) northwest of London, located on theLiverpool Bayof theIrish Sea, Liverpool is built across a ridge ofsandstonehills rising up to a height of around 230 feet (70 m) above sea-level at Everton Hill, which represents the southern boundary of theWest Lancashire Coastal Plain.
TheMersey Estuaryseparates Liverpool from theWirral Peninsula. The boundaries of Liverpool are adjacent toBootle,CrosbyandMaghullin southSeftonto the north, andKirkby,Huyton,PrescotandHalewoodinKnowsleyto the east.
Liverpool experiences atemperatemaritime climate(Köppen:Cfb), like much of the British Isles, with relatively mild summers, cool winters and rainfall spread fairly evenly throughout the year. Rainfall and temperature records had been kept atBidston Hillsince 1867, but records for atmospheric pressure go back as far as at least 1846.Bidston closed down in 2002 but theMet Officealso has a weather station atCrosby. Since records began in 1867, temperatures have ranged from −17.6 °C (0.3 °F) on 21 December 2010 to 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) on 2 August 1990, althoughLiverpool Airportrecorded a temperature of 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) on 19 July 2006.
The lowest amount of sunshine on record was 16.5 hours in December 1927 whereas the most was 314.5 hours in July 2013.
Tornado activityorfunnel cloudformation is very rare in and around the Liverpool area and tornadoes that do form are usually weak. Recent tornadoes or funnel clouds in Merseyside have been seen in 1998 and 2014.
During the period 1981–2010, Crosby recorded an average of 32.8 days of air frost per year, which is low for the United Kingdom.Snow is fairly common during the winter although heavy snow is rare. Snow generally falls between November and March but can occasionally fall earlier and later. In recent times, the earliest snowfall was on 1 October 2008while the latest occurred on 15 May 2012.Although historically, the earliest snowfall occurred on 10 September 1908and the latest on 2 June 1975.
Rainfall, although light, is quite a common occurrence in Liverpool, with the wettest month on record being August 1956, which recorded 221.2 mm (8.71 in) of rain and the driest being February 1932, with 0.9 mm (0.035 in).The driest year on record was 1991, with 480.5 mm (18.92 in) of rainfall and the wettest was 1872, with 1,159.9 mm (45.67 in).
Suburbs and districts of Liverpool include:
In 2010, Liverpool City Council and the Primary Care Trust commissioned theMersey Forestto complete "A Green Infrastructure Strategy" for the city.
Liverpool is a core urban element of agreen beltregion that extends into the wider surrounding counties, which is in place to reduceurban sprawl, prevent the towns in the conurbation from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encouragebrownfieldreuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.
Due to being already highly built up, the city contains limited portions of protected green belt area withingreenfieldthroughout the borough atFazakerley,Croxteth Halland country park and Craven Wood, Woodfields Park and nearby golf courses inNetherley, small greenfield tracts east of theSpekearea by the St Ambrose primary school, and the small hamlet ofOgletand the surrounding area south ofLiverpool Airport.
The green belt was first drawn up in 1983 under Merseyside County Counciland the size in the city amounts to 530 hectares (5.3 km; 2.0 sq mi).
Since the mid-20th century, Scouser has become the predominant demonym for the inhabitants of Liverpool, and is strongly associated with theScouseaccent and dialect of the city.The Scouse accent is described as progressively diverging from the Lancastrian accent in the late 19th century.
The etymology of Scouser is derived from the traditional dishScousebrought to the area by sailors travelling through Liverpool's port.
Prior to the establishment of Scouser as there have been a number of different terms used to refer to inhabitants of Liverpool of varying popularity and longevity:
Professor Tony Crowley argues that up until the 1950s, inhabitants of Liverpool were generally referred to by a number of demonyms. He argues that there was a debate in the mid 20th century between the two rival terms of 'Liverpolitan' and 'Liverpudlian'. The debate surrounded the lexicology of these terms and their connotations of social class.
Professor John Belchem suggests that a series of other nicknames such as 'Dick Liver', 'Dicky Sam' and 'whacker' were used, but gradually fell out of use. Belchem and Philip Boland suggest that comedic radio presenters and entertainers brought the Liverpool identity to a national audience, which in turn encouraged locals to be gradually more known as 'scousers'. By the time that Frank Shaw'sMy Liverpool, a Celebration of 'Scousetown'was published in 1971, Belchem argues that 'Scouser' had firmly become the dominant demonym.
The city of Liverpool is at the core of a much larger and more populousmetropolitan area, however, at the most recentUK Census in 2021, the area governed byLiverpool City Councilhad a population of 486,100, a 4.2% increase from the previousCensus in 2011. This figure increased to 500,500 people by 2022, according to data from Liverpool City Council.
Taking in to account howlocal governmentis organised within the cities and metropolitan areas of England, the Liverpool was the fifth largest of England's'core cities'and had the second overall highest population density of those, by 2021.
The population of the city has steadily risen since the2001 Census. As well as having a growing population, the population density also grew at the 2021 Census compared to the previous Census. Since 2011, its population size ranked 10th out of 309 local authority areas.
The population of the city is comparatively younger than that of England as a whole. Family life in the city is also growing at odds with the North West England region as a whole: At the 2021 Census, the percentage of households including a couple without children increased in Liverpool, but fell across the North West. The percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed also increased in Liverpool compared to the overall North West region where it fell.
The 2021 Census also showed that Liverpool'sethnicand international population was growing. The number of residents in the city born outside of England has increased since the previous Census, while the number of residents who did not identify with anynational identity associated with the UKhas also increased at a faster rate than England as a whole. The overall share of the city's population who identified asAsianandBlackincreased, while the percentage who identified aswhitedecreased in the city compared with previous Census.
It has been argued that the city can claim to have one of the strongestIrish heritagesin the United Kingdom, with as many as 75 percent (estimated) of Liverpool's population with some form ofIrish ancestry.
The growing population of Liverpool in the 21st century reverses a trend which took place between the 1930s and 2001, when the population of thecity propereffectively halved.
At the1931 United Kingdom census, Liverpool's population reached an all-time high of 846,302. Following this peak, in response to central government policy, the Council authority of Liverpool then built and owned large several'new town'council estatesin the suburbs within Liverpool's metropolitan area. Tens of thousands of people were systematically relocated to new housing in areas such asHalton,Knowsley,St Helens,Sefton,Wirral,Cheshire West and Chester,West Lancashire,Warringtonand as far asNorth Wales.
Such a mass relocation and population loss during this time was common practice for many British cities, including London andManchester, In contrast, satellite towns such asKirkby,SkelmersdaleandRuncornsaw a corresponding rise in their populations (Kirkby being the fastest growing town in Britain during the 1960s).
Liverpool is typically grouped with the widerMerseyside(plusHalton) area for the purpose of defining its metropolitan footprint, and there are several methodologies. Sometimes, this metropolitan area is broadened to encompass urban settlements in the neighbouring counties ofLancashireandCheshire.
TheOffice for National Statisticsin the United Kingdom uses the international standardisedInternational Territorial Levels (ITLs)to divide up theeconomic territory of the UK. This enables the ONS to calculate regional and local statistics and data. The ONS uses a series of codes to identify these areas. In order of hierarchy from largest area to smallest area, Liverpool is part of the following regions:
North West England(code TLD)At the 2021 Census, the ITL 1 region of North West England had a usual resident population of 7,417,300.
Merseyside(code TLD7)The ITL 2 region of Merseyside is defined as the area comprising East Merseyside (TLD71) plus Liverpool (TLD72),Sefton(TLD73) andWirral(TLD74).At the 2021 Census, the population of this area was as follows:
East Merseyside (TLD71):
Liverpool (TLD72) = 486,100
Sefton(TLD73) = 279,300
Wirral(TLD74) = 320,200
Therefore, the total population of the ITL 2 Merseyside region was 1,551,500 based on the 2021 Census.
The smallest ITL 3 area classed as Liverpool (code TLD72), therefore, had a population of 486,100 at the 2021 Census.
At the 2021 Census, the ONS used a refreshed concept of built-up areas (BUAs) based on the physical built environment, usingsatellite imageryto recognise developed land, such as cities, towns, and villages. This allows the ONS to investigate economic and social statistics based on actual settlements where most people live. Data from the 2021 Census is not directly comparable with2011 Censusdata due to this revised methodology. Using the population figures of BUAs at the 2021 Census (excluding London),Liverpool Built-up Areais the third largest in England with some 506,565 usual residents (behind onlyBirminghamandLeeds). Liverpool's built-up area is, therefore, larger than the major English cities ofBristol, Manchester,Newcastle upon Tyne,NottinghamandSheffield.
Excluding London, theLiverpool City Regionwas the 4th largestcombined authorityarea in England, by 2021. The population is approximately 1.6 million. The Liverpool City Region is a political and economic partnership between local authorities includingLiverpool, plus theMetropolitan boroughsofKnowsley,Sefton,St Helens,Wirraland theBorough of Halton. TheLiverpool City Region Combined Authorityexercises strategic governance powers for the region in many areas. The economic data of the Liverpool city region is of particular policy interest to theOffice for National Statistics, particularly as theBritish Governmentcontinuously explores the potential to negotiate increaseddevolved powersfor each combined authority area.
A 2011 report,Liverpool City Region – Building on its Strengths, byLord HeseltineandTerry Leahy, stated that "what is now called Liverpool City Region has a population of around 1.5million", but also referred to "an urban region that spreads fromWrexhamandFlintshiretoChester,Warrington,West Lancashireand across toSouthport", with a population of 2.3million.
In 2006, in an attempt to harmonise the series of metropolitan areas across the European Union, ESPON (nowEuropean Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion) released a study defining a "Liverpool/Birkenhead Metropolitan area" with an estimated population of 2,241,000 people. The metro area comprised a functional urban area consisting of a contiguous urban sprawl, labour pool, and commuterTravel to work areas. The analysis defined this metropolitan area as Liverpool itself, combined with the surrounding areas ofBirkenhead,Wigan/Ashton,Warrington,Widnes/Runcorn,Chester,Southport,Ellesmere Port,OrmskirkandSkelmersdale.
Liverpool and Manchester are sometimes considered as one large polynuclear metropolitan area,ormegalopolis.
In recent decades, Liverpool's population is becoming more multicultural. According to the 2021 census, 77% of all Liverpool residents described their ethnic group as White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British. The remaining 23% were described as non-White English/British. Between 2011 and 2021, there was population growth across all ethnic groups, except 'White English/British' and 'Any Other', where there were overall losses. The number of 'Other White residents' in Liverpool also increased by almost 12,000 people, with notable increases in the 'Other Asian', 'Arab', and 'Other Mixed/Multiple' population categories. The non-White English/British population as a percentage of the total population across the'newly organised city electoral wards'ranged from 5% in theOrrell Parkward to 69% in thePrinces Parkward. 9 out of 10 Liverpool residents regarded English as their main language. The highest non-English languages in the city wereArabic(5,743 main speakers) followed byPolish(4,809 main speakers). Overall, almost 45,000 residents had a main language that was not English.
According to a 2014 survey, the ten most popular surnames of Liverpool and their occurrence in the population are:
Liverpool is home to Britain's oldestBlackcommunity, dating to at least the 1730s. Some Liverpudlians can trace their black ancestry in the city back ten generations.Early Black settlers in the city included seamen, the children of traders sent to be educated, andfreed slaves, since slaves entering the country after 1722 were deemed free men.Since the 20th century, Liverpool is also noted for its largeAfrican-Caribbean,Ghanaian,andSomalicommunities, formed of more recent African-descended immigrants and their subsequent generations.
The city is also home to the oldestChinese communityin Europe; the first residents of the city'sChinatownarrived as seamen in the 19th century.The traditional Chinese gateway erected in Liverpool's Chinatown is the largest such gateway outside China. Liverpool also has a long-standingFilipinocommunity.Lita Roza, a singer from Liverpool who was the first woman to achieve a UK number one hit, had Filipino ancestry.
The city is also known for its largeIrishandWelshpopulations.In 1813, 10 per cent of Liverpool's population was Welsh, leading to the city becoming known as "the capital ofNorth Wales."
During, and in the decades following, theGreat Irish Faminein the mid-19th century, up to two million Irish people travelled to Liverpool within one decade, with many subsequently departing for the United States.By 1851, more than 20 per cent of the population of Liverpool was Irish.At the 2001 Census, 1.17 per cent of the population were Welsh-born and 0.75 per cent were born in theRepublic of Ireland, while 0.54 per cent were born inNorthern Ireland,but many more Liverpudlians are of legacy Welsh or Irish ancestry.
Other contemporary ethnicities includeIndian,Latin American,Malaysian,andYemenicommunities, which number several thousand each.
The thousands of migrants and sailors passing through Liverpool resulted in a religious diversity that is still apparent today. This is reflected in the equally diverse collection of religious buildings,including two Christian cathedrals.
Liverpool is known to be England's 'most Catholic city', with aCatholicpopulation much larger than in other parts of England.This is mainly due to high historic Irish migration to the city and their descendants since.
The parish church of Liverpool is the AnglicanOur Lady and St Nicholas, colloquially known as "the sailors church", which has existed near the waterfront since 1257. It regularly plays host toCatholic masses. Other notable churches include theGreek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas(built in theNeo-Byzantine architecturestyle), and theGustav Adolf Church(the Swedish Seamen's Church, reminiscent of Nordic styles).
Liverpool's wealth as a port city enabled the construction of two enormous cathedrals in the 20th century. TheAnglican Cathedral, which was designed bySir Giles Gilbert Scottand plays host to the annualLiverpool Shakespeare Festival, has one of the longestnaves, largest organs and heaviest and highest peals of bells in the world. The Roman CatholicMetropolitan Cathedral, on Mount Pleasant next toLiverpool Science Park, was initially planned to be even larger. OfSir Edwin Lutyens's original design, only the crypt was completed. The cathedral was eventually built to a simpler design bySir Frederick Gibberd. While this is on a smaller scale than Lutyens' original design, it still incorporates the largest panel ofstained glassin the world. The road running between the two cathedrals is calledHope Street. The cathedral has long been colloquially referred to as "Paddy's Wigwam" due to its shape.
Liverpool contains several synagogues, of which the Grade I listedMoorish RevivalPrinces Road Synagogueis architecturally the most notable. Princes Road is widely considered to be the most magnificent of Britain'sMoorish Revivalsynagogues and one of the finest buildings in Liverpool.Liverpool has a thrivingJewish communitywith a further twoorthodoxSynagogues, one in theAllertondistrict of the city and a second in the Childwall district of the city where a significant Jewish community reside. A third orthodox Synagogue in theGreenbank Parkarea of L17 has recently closed and is a listed 1930s structure. There is also aLubavitchChabad Houseand areform Synagogue. Liverpool has had a Jewish community since the mid-18th century. The Jewish population of Liverpool is around 5,000.TheLiverpool Talmudical Collegeexisted from 1914 until 1990, when its classes moved to theChildwall Synagogue.
Liverpool also has aHinducommunity, with aMandironEdge Lane,Edge Hill. The Shri Radha Krishna Temple from the Hindu Cultural Organisation in Liverpool is located there.Liverpool also has theGuru NanakSikhGurdwarainWavertreeand aBaháʼíCentre in the same area.
The city had the earliest Mosque in England and possibly the UK, founded in 1887 byWilliam Abdullah Quilliam, a lawyer who had converted toIslamwho set up theLiverpool Muslim Institutein aterraced houseon West Derby Road.Apart from the first mosque in England which now houses a museum,the largest and main one,Al-Rahma mosque, was also the third purpose-built mosque in the United Kingdom.The second largest mosque in Liverpool is the Masjid Al-Taiseer.Other mosques in the city include the Bait ul Lateef Ahmadiyya Mosque,Hamza Center (Community Center),Islamic community centre,Liverpool Mosque and Islamic Institute,Liverpool Towhid Centre,Masjid Annour,and the Shah Jalal Mosque.
Liverpool forms an integral part ofNorth West England's economy, the third largest regional economy in the United Kingdom. The city is also a major contributor to the economy ofLiverpool City Region, worth over £40 billion per year.
The local authority area governed byLiverpool City Councilaccounts for 39% of the Liverpool city region's total jobs, 40% of its total GVA and 35% of its total businesses. At the local authority level, the city'sGVA(balanced) at current basic prices was £14.3 billion in 2021. Its GDP at current market prices was £15.9 billion. This equates to £32,841 per head of the population.
At the2021 United Kingdom census, 51.1% of Liverpool's population aged 16 years and over was classed as employed, 44.2% economically inactive and 4.8% unemployed. Of those employed, the most popular industries providing the employment were human health and social work activities (18.7%), wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles (15%), education (10.8%), public administration and defence; compulsory social security (7.3%), accommodation and food service activities (6.8%), construction (6.5%), transport and storage (5.8%), manufacturing (5.5%) and professional, scientific and technical activities (5.2%).
According to theONSBusiness Register and Employment Survey 2021, some industries within Liverpool perform strongly compared to otherlocal authorities in Great Britain. In terms of absolute number of jobs per industry in Great Britain's local authority areas, Liverpool features in the national top 10 for human health and social work activities; arts, entertainment and recreation; public administration and defence; compulsory social security; accommodation and food service activities and real estate activities. Liverpool features in the national top 20 for number of jobs in education; construction; wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; financial and insurance activities and professional, scientific and technical activities.
In 2023, Liverpool City Council set out an economic growth plan for the city over the following 20 years. The City Council will have particular focus on economic sectors such as thevisitor economy (tourism),culture,life sciences,digitalandcreative sectors, andadvanced car manufacturing.
According to the International passenger Survey, from theONS, Liverpool was one of the top 5 most visited cities in the UK by overseas tourists in 2022. As of the same year, the city's tourist industry was worth a total of £3.5 billion annually and was part of a larger city region tourist industry worth £5 billion. A consistent calendar of major events, as well as a plethora of cultural attractions, continue to provide a significant draw for tourists. Tourism related tothe Beatlesis worth an estimated £100m to the Liverpool economy each year alone.Liverpool One, as well as a growing retail offer overall, has led to the city being one of the most prominent destinations for shopping in the UK.Liverpool Cruise Terminal, which is situated close to thePier Head, enables tourists to berth in the centre of the city.
Liverpool is home to theKnowledge Quarter, a 450-acre city centre district that hosts some of the world's most influential institutions in science, health, technology, education, music and the creative performing arts. TheUK governmenthas also identified the city as a 'pharmaceuticalproduction superpower' and one of the UK's leading regions forbioprocessing. The accolade led to the government choosing the city for England's second ever 'Investment Zone' in 2023. This will involve millions of pounds being invested over the coming years in to science orientated districts including the Knowledge Quarter and the so-called 'pharma cluster' in the city suburb ofSpeke. The two clusters form an internationally significant role ininfectious diseasecontrol. Liverpool City Council also plan to invest in the city'sBaltic Triangle, which is renowned in the creative and digital industries.
Car manufacturingalso takes place in the city at theJaguar Land Rover Halewoodplant, where theRange Rover Evoquemodel is assembled. In 2023, Jaguar Land Rover announced that the Halewood plant would begin to shift its focus toelectric carproduction.
Historically, the economy of Liverpool was centred on the city's port and manufacturing base. Today, thePort of Liverpoolis the UK's fourth largest port bytonnageoffreight, handling over 30 million tonnes in 2020. The city is also the UK's largest port fortransatlantic trade, handling 45% of the country's trade from the United States. In 2023, the city was chosen by the British government to be a designatedFreeportto encourage growing international commerce.
TheLiverpool2container terminal, completed in 2022, has greatly increased the volume of cargo which Liverpool is able to handle and has facilitated the world's biggestcontainer vessels.
Liverpool is also home to numerous UK headquarters, or the major strategic branch offices, of manyshipping and freight linesincluding:Atlantic Container Line,Bibby Line,Borchard Lines Ltd,CMA CGM,Hapag-Lloyd,Independent Container Line,Irish Ferries,Maersk Line,Mediterranean Shipping CompanyandZim Integrated Shipping Services.
Liverpool's richarchitectural basehas helped the city become the second mostfilmed cityin the UK outside London. As well as being a featured location in its own right, it often doubles up for Chicago, London, Moscow, New York City, Paris andRome. The Depot studios, close to the city centre, provide space for film and TV productions.
Major economic projects planned for the city include the revitalisation of disused land in the North docks/Ten Streets area,Liverpool Watersand a new purpose built TV studio at the formerLittlewoods Pools building, adjacent to the Depot.
The policy agenda of theBritish Governmentis to continuously monitor the economy and productivity of the UK'score citieswithin the context of their respectivecity regions. The government's longer-term plan is to assess each area's potential for increaseddevolutionand transfer of additional powers and budgets from central government inWhitehallto their correspondingcombined authorities. As such, official statistics about Liverpool's economy within the context of theLiverpool City Region, are closely monitored by theOffice for National Statistics. This allows policy and decision makers to more accurately assess the 'functional economic area' of the city, which is not bound by traditionallocal government geographies.
As of 2023, there are 10 city regions in England with Combined Authorities. The economy ofLiverpool's combined authorityarea in comparison to the other city regions is as follows:
Liverpool's long commercial history has given rise to a considerable variety ofarchitectural stylesfound within the city, ranging from 16th centuryTudor buildingsto modern-daycontemporary architecture.The majority of buildings in the city date from the late-18th century onwards, the period during which the city grew into one of the foremost powers in theBritish Empire.There are over2,500 listed buildingsin Liverpool, of which 27 are Grade I listedand 85 are Grade II* listed.The city also has a greater number of public sculptures than any other location in the United Kingdom aside fromWestminsterand significant number of Georgian houses still exist.This richness of architecture has subsequently seen Liverpool described byEnglish Heritage, as England's finest Victorian city.
The value of Liverpool's architecture and design was recognised in 2004, when several areas throughout the city were declared aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. Known as theLiverpool Maritime Mercantile City, the sites were added in recognition of the city's role in the development ofinternational tradeanddockingtechnology.However, this status was revoked in July 2021, when UNESCO resolved that recent and proposed developments, such as theBramley-Moore Dock StadiumandLiverpool Watersprojects, had resulted in the "serious deterioration" of the area's significance.
As a major British port, the docks in Liverpool have historically been central to the city's development. Several major docking firsts have occurred in the city including the construction of the world's first enclosedwet dock(theOld Dock) in 1715 and the first everhydraulicliftingcranes.The best-known dock in Liverpool is theRoyal Albert Dock, which was constructed in 1846 and today comprises the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in Britain.Built under the guidance ofJesse Hartley, it was considered to be one of the most advanced docks anywhere in the world upon completion and is often attributed with helping the city to become one of the most important ports in the world. Today, the Royal Albert Dock houses restaurants, bars, shops, two hotels as well as theMerseyside Maritime Museum,International Slavery Museum,Tate LiverpoolandThe Beatles Story. North of the city centre isStanley Dock, home to theStanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, which was at the time of its construction in 1901, the world's largest building in terms of areaand today stands as the world's largest brick-work building.
One of the most famous locations in Liverpool is thePier Head, renowned for the trio of buildings – theRoyal Liver Building, theCunard Buildingand thePort of Liverpool Building– which sit upon it. Collectively referred to as theThree Graces, these buildings stand as a testament to the great wealth in the city during the late 19th and early 20th century. Built in a variety of architectural styles, they are recognised as being the symbol of 'maritime Liverpool' and are regarded by many as contributing to one of the most impressive waterfronts in the world.
In the 21st century, several areas along Liverpool's waterfront have undergone significant redevelopment. Among the notable developments are theMuseum of Liverpool, the construction of theLiverpool Arena,ACC LiverpoolandExhibition Centre LiverpoolonKing's Dock,Alexandra Towerand1 Princes DockonPrince's DockandLiverpool MarinaaroundCoburgandBrunswick Docks.The Wheel of Liverpoolopened on 25 March 2010.
However, plans to redevelop parts ofLiverpool city centrehave been marred bycontroversy. In December 2016, a newly formed company calledNorth Point Global Ltd.was given the rights to develop part of the docks under the "New Chinatown" working name. Though heavily advertised in Liverpool, Hong Kong and Chinese cities with high-profile advertisements and videos, the "New Chinatown" development failed to materialise.In January 2018, theLiverpool EchoandAsia Timesrevealed that the site remained sans any construction. North Point Global as well as its subcontractor "Bilt" had both declared bankruptcy, and the small investors (mostly middle class couples) who had already paid money for the apartments had lost most of their savings in them.
Liverpool's historic position as one of the most important trading ports in the world has meant that over time many grand buildings have been constructed in the city as headquarters for shipping firms, insurance companies, banks and other large firms. The great wealth this brought then allowed for the development of grand civic buildings, which were designed to allow the local administrators to 'run the city with pride'.
Thecommercial districtis centred on theCastle Street,Dale Streetand Old Hall Street areas of the city, with many of the area's roads still following theirmedievallayout. Having developed predominantly over a period of three centuries, the area is regarded as one of the most important architectural locations in the city, as recognised by its inclusion in Liverpool'sformer World Heritage site.
The oldest building in the area is theGrade IlistedLiverpool Town Hall, which is located at the top of Castle Street and dates from 1754. Often regarded as the city's finest piece ofGeorgian architecture, the building is known as one of the most extravagantly decorated civic buildings anywhere in Britain.Also on Castle Street is the Grade I listedBank of England Building, constructed between 1845 and 1848, as one of only three provincial branches of thenational bank.Among the other buildings in the area are theTower Buildings,Albion House(the formerWhite Star Lineheadquarters), theMunicipal BuildingsandOriel Chambers,which is considered to be one of the earliestModerniststyle buildings ever built.
The area aroundWilliam Brown Streetis referred to as the city's 'Cultural Quarter', owing to the presence of numerous civic buildings, including theWilliam Brown Library,Walker Art Gallery,Picton Reading RoomsandWorld Museum Liverpool. The area is dominated byneo-classical architecture, of which the most prominent,St George's Hall,is widely regarded as the best example of a neo-classical building anywhere in Europe.A Grade I listed building, it was constructed between 1840 and 1855 to serve a variety of civic functions in the city and its doors are inscribed with "S.P.Q.L." (Latinsenatus populusque Liverpudliensis), meaning "the senate and people of Liverpool". William Brown Street is also home to numerous public monuments and sculptures, includingWellington's Columnand theSteble Fountain. Many others are located around the area, particularly inSt John's Gardens, which was specifically developed for this purpose.The William Brown Street area has been likened to a modern recreation of theRoman Forum.
While the majority of Liverpool's architecture dates from the mid-18th century onwards, there are several buildings that pre-date this time. One of the oldest surviving buildings isSpeke Hall, aTudormanor houselocated in the south of the city, which was completed in 1598.The building is one of the few remainingtimber framedTudor houses left in thenorth of Englandand is particularly noted for itsVictorianinteriors, which were added in the mid-19th century.In addition to Speke Hall, many of the city's other oldest surviving buildings are also formermanor housesincludingCroxteth HallandWoolton Hall, which were completed in 1702 and 1704 respectively.
The oldest building within the city centre is theGrade IlistedBluecoat Chambers,which was built between 1717 and 1718. Constructed in BritishQueen Anne style architecture,the building was influenced in part by the work ofChristopher Wrenand was originally the home of theBluecoat School(who later moved to a larger site inWavertreein the south of the city). Since 1908, it has acted as a centre for arts in Liverpool.
Liverpool is noted for having two Cathedrals, each of which imposes over the landscape around it.TheAnglican Cathedral, which was constructed between 1904 and 1978, is the largest Cathedral in Britainand thefifth largest in the world. Designed and built inGothic style, it is regarded as one of the greatest buildings to have been constructed during the 20th centuryand was described by former BritishPoet Laureate,John Betjeman, as "one of the great buildings of the world".The Roman CatholicMetropolitan Cathedralwas constructed between 1962 and 1967 and is known as one of the first cathedrals to break the traditional longitudinal design.
In the 21st century, many parts of Liverpool's city centre have undergone significant redevelopment and regeneration after years of decline. So far, the largest of these developments has beenLiverpool One, which saw almost £1 billion invested in the redevelopment of 42 acres (17 hectares) of land, providing new retail, commercial, residential and leisure space.Around the north of the city centre, several new skyscrapers have also been constructed including theRIBAaward-winningUnity BuildingsandWest Tower, which at 140m isLiverpool's tallest building. Many redevelopment schemes are also in progress including Circus,King's Dock,Paddington VillageandLiverpool Waters.
There are many other notable buildings in Liverpool, including theart decoformer terminal buildingofSpeke Airport, theUniversity of Liverpool'sVictoria Building, (which provided the inspiration for the termRed Brick University), and theAdelphi Hotel, which was in the past considered to be one of the finest hotels anywhere in the world.
TheRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in EnglanddescribesMerseyside'sVictorian Parksas collectively the "most important in the country".Liverpool has ten listed parks and cemeteries, including two Grade I and five Grade II*, more than any other English city apart from London.
Liverpool has an extensive transport infrastructure that connects the city with its metropolitan area, the rest of theUnited Kingdom,Europeand the world. Various modes of transport provide considerable connections by road, rail, air and sea. The local network of buses, trains and ferries is managed byMerseytravelon behalf of theLiverpool City Region Combined Authorityand theMetro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. The Mayor and Combined Authority have control of adevolvedtransport budget and associated transport powers for this local system. The city's major port and international airport provide global links for both passengers and freight.
The city sits at the centre of a much larger metropolitan area. The city's suburbs run contiguously into the neighbouring boroughs defined by the ONS as theLiverpool Built-up Area. The wider City Region and Merseyside in general is densely urbanised and divided by several motorways and major roads. The city is served by a networkmotorways. The three motorways in closest proximity are theM58to the north, andM62andM57to the east.
To the north, theM58 motorwayruns 12 miles and provides links to the neighbouring counties ofLancashireandGreater Manchester, finally joining with the M6 west of Wigan.
To the east, the M62 runs across the north of the UK, ultimately connecting Liverpool withHullon the opposite coast, and along the route to several large cities includingManchester,LeedsandBradford. The M62 also provides a connection to both theM6andM1 motorways, providing indirect links to more distant areas includingBirmingham, London,Nottingham,PrestonandSheffield.
To the east, but running north-south, theM57acts as a 10-mile ring road for the city itself and links the M62 and M58 motorways, as well as theA580 East Lancashire Roadproviding a link directly to theA5300that links to the bridges that cross the Mersey to the south of the city.
To the south, Liverpool is connected toWidnesandWarringtonvia theA562andA5300and across theRiver MerseytoRuncorninCheshire, via theSilver JubileeandMersey Gatewaybridges. TheM56 motorwaythen provides routes into parts of the neighbouring counties, with connections to the Wirral and North Wales, and a direct route toManchester Airport.
TheKingswayandQueensway Tunnelsconnect Liverpool with the settlements on theWirral Peninsulaacross the Mersey to the west, includingBirkenhead, andWallasey. TheA41 roadandM53 motorway, which both begin in Birkenhead, link to Cheshire andShropshireand via theA55, toNorth Wales.
Liverpool is served by two separate rail networks. The local rail network is managed and run byMerseyrailand provides links throughout the Liverpool city region and beyond (seeLocal travelbelow). The national network, which is managed byNetwork Rail, provides Liverpool with connections to major towns and cities across England. The city's primary main line station isLime Street station, which is the terminus for several lines into the city. The station is served by a number of differenttrain operating companiesincludingAvanti West Coast,East Midlands Railway,London North Eastern Railway,Northern Rail,TransPennine ExpressandWest Midlands Trains.Between them, the station is connected with direct train services to numerous destinations including London (in 2 hours 8 minutes withPendolinotrains),Birmingham,Glasgow,Hull,Leeds,Manchester,Newcastle upon Tyne,Norwich,Nottingham,Preston,Scarborough,SheffieldandYork.Opened in 1836, Lime Street station is the world's oldest mainline terminus station still in use.In the south of the city,Liverpool South Parkwayprovides a connection to the city'sairport.
ThePort of Liverpoolconnects passengers andfreightto Liverpool from all around the world. Passenger ferry services depart from the city across theIrish SeatoBelfastand theIsle of Man. Services are provided by several companies, including theIsle of Man Steam Packet Company,P&O FerriesandStena Line.
TheLiverpool Cruise Terminalhandles over 200,000 passengers and crew annually and is located alongside thePier Headin the city centre. Berthing facilities for long-distance passenger cruises are provided and served by a large number of differentcruise lines. Ports inAustralia,France,Faroe Islands,Iceland,North America,Norway,Spainand theCaribbeanare served by the facility.The cruise lines that call at Liverpool cruise terminal include the following:
As of 2022, the Port of Liverpool is the fourth busiest port in the UK by freight tonnage, handling 33milliontonnes offreight cargo.It is the main port in the country fortransatlantic tradeand the largest port on the west coast of the UK. TheRoyal SeaforthandLiverpool2container terminals are the port's two main terminals and handle a wide variety of cargo including containers,liquid and dry bulk cargoessuch as coal and grain,biomassandroll-on/roll-offcargoes such as cars and trucks.Leeds and Liverpool Canalruns into Liverpool city centre viaLiverpool Canal Linkat Pier Head since 2009.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which is located in the south of the city, provides Liverpool with direct air connections across the United Kingdom and Europe. It offers direct services to over 60 airports worldwide and to over 100 destinations via one-stopconnectionsinFrankfurt,DublinandReykjavík. The airport is primarily served bylow-cost airlinesnamelyAer Lingus,easyJet,Jet2.com,Loganair,Lufthansa,Play,Ryanair,WiderøeandWizz Air, although it does provide facilities forprivate aircraft.
Liverpool'surban railway network, known asMerseyrail, is one of the busiest and most extensive in the country. The network provides approximately 30 million passenger journeys per year, across a system of 69 stations throughout Liverpool's metropolitan area, within the formal boundaries of the Liverpool city region and adjacent areas ofCheshireandLancashire.
The network consists of three lines: theNorthern Line, which runs toSouthport,Ormskirk,Headbolt LaneandHunts Cross; theWirral Line, which runs through the Mersey Railway Tunnel and has branches toNew Brighton,West Kirby,ChesterandEllesmere Port; and theCity Line, which begins atLime Street, providing links toSt Helens,Wigan,Preston,WarringtonandManchester.The network is predominantly electric and covers 75 miles (120 kilometres) of track.Trains are owned and operated by theMerseyrailfranchise and managed byMerseytravelunder the direction of theLiverpool City Region Combined Authority. Local services on the City Line are operated byNorthernrather than Merseyrail, although the line itself remains part of the Merseyrail network. WithinLiverpool city centre, four stations and over6+1⁄2miles (10.5 kilometres) of tunnels are underground.Hamilton SquareandLiverpool James Streetare the oldest deep level underground stations in the world.In 2023, for the first time in UK history,battery-powered passenger trainslaunched on Merseyrail tracks from the newly openedHeadbolt Lanestation in Kirkby. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's long term "Merseyrail for All" plan is to reduce dependency onlive third railand promote battery power in order to further expand Merseyrail to previously inaccessible places across the city region and as far asManchester,Wrexham,WarringtonandPreston.
Local bus services within and around Liverpool are managed byMerseytraveland are run by several different companies, includingArrivaandStagecoach. The two principal termini for local buses areQueen Square bus station(located nearLime Street railway station) for services north and east of the city, andLiverpool One bus station(located near theRoyal Albert Dock) for services to the south and east.Cross-riverservices to theWirraluse roadside terminus points in Castle Street and Sir Thomas Street. Anight bus servicealso operates on Saturdays providing services from the city centre across Liverpool and wider region.Tour bus servicesare provided by Maghull Coaches which allow tourists tohop-on-hop-offand view historical landmarks and attractions, as well asLiverpool F.C.andBeatlesrelated locations.National Expressservices operate from theLiverpool One bus stationto and from destinations across the UK.In 2023, the Liverpool city region confirmed plans to become the second place outside London to implementbus franchising. Local leaders have argued that it will improve services by transferring control over fares, ticketing and routes from bus companies to theCombined Authority. The full implementation of bus franchising will take place by the end of 2028.
The cross-river ferry service in Liverpool, known as theMersey Ferry, is managed and operated byMerseytravel, with services operating between thePier Headin Liverpool city centre and bothWoodsideinBirkenheadandSeacombeinWallasey. Services operate at intervals ranging from 20 minutes, at peak times, to every hour during the middle of the day and at weekends.Despite remaining an important transport link between the city and the Wirral Peninsula, the Mersey Ferry has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction within the city, with daytime River Explorer Cruises providing passengers with an historical overview of theRiver Merseyand surrounding areas.
Ascooter-sharing systemandelectric bicyclescheme operates throughout Liverpool which allows residents and visitors to move around the city on rented scooters and bicycles. The scheme is operated by Swedish technology company Voi, and riders are able to pick up and drop off bikes and scooters at various locations around the city.National Cycle Route 56,National Cycle Route 62and National Cycle Route 810 run through Liverpool.
As with other large cities, Liverpool is an important cultural centre within the United Kingdom, incorporating music, performing arts, museums and art galleries, literature and nightlife among others. In 2008, the cultural heritage of the city was celebrated with the city holding the title ofEuropean Capital of Culture, during which time a wide range of cultural celebrations took place in the city, includingGo Superlambananas!andLa Princesse. Liverpool has also held Europe's largest music and poetry event, theWelsh national Eisteddfod, three times, despite being in England, in 1884, 1900, and 1929.
Liverpool is internationally known for music and is recognised byGuinness World Recordsas the "World Capital City of Pop".Musicians from the city have produced 58 No. 1 singles, more than any other city in the world.Both the most successfulmale bandandgirl groupin global music history have contained Liverpudlian members. Liverpool is most famous as the birthplace ofthe Beatlesand during the 1960s was at the forefront of theBeat Musicmovement, which would eventually lead to theBritish Invasion. Many notable musicians of the time originated in the city includingBilly J. Kramer,Cilla Black,Gerry and the PacemakersandThe Searchers. The influence of musicians from Liverpool, coupled with other cultural exploits of the time, such as theLiverpool poets, prompted American poetAllen Ginsbergto proclaim that the city was "the centre of consciousness of the human universe".Other musicians from Liverpool includeBilly Fury,A Flock of Seagulls,Echo & the Bunnymen,Frankie Goes to Hollywood,Frankie Vaughan,Anathema,Ladytron,The Zutons,Cast,Atomic KittenandRebecca Ferguson.The La's1990 hit single "There She Goes" was described byRolling Stoneas a "founding piece ofBritpop's foundation."
The city is also home to the oldest surviving professionalsymphony orchestrain the UK, theRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, which is based in thePhilharmonic Hall.The chief conductor of the orchestra isVasily Petrenko.SirEdward Elgardedicated hisPomp and Circumstance March No. 1to the Liverpool Orchestral Society, and the piece had its first performance in the city in 1901.Among Liverpool's curiosities, the Austrian émigréFritz Spieglis notable. He not only became a world expert on the etymology ofScouse, but composed the music toZ-carsand theRadio 4 UK Theme.
Well established festivals in the city includeAfrica OyéandBrazilicawhich are the UK's largest free African and Brazilian music festivals respectively.The dance music festivalCreamfieldswas established by the Liverpool-basedCreamclubbing brand which started life as a weekly event at Nation nightclub. There are numerous music venues located across the city, however, theLiverpool Arenais by far the largest. Opened in 2008, the 11,000-seat arena hosted theMTV Europe Music Awardsthe same year, and since then has played host to world-renowned acts such asAndrea Bocelli,Beyoncé,Elton John,Kanye West,Kasabian,The Killers,Lady Gaga,Oasis,Pink,Rihanna, andUB40.
On 7 October 2022, the [[publisherBBCrporation and theEuropean Broadcasting Union(EBU) announced that Liverpool would host theEurovision Song Contest 2023on behalf of the previous year's winning countryUkraine, which was unable to meet the demands of hosting the event due to security concerns caused by theRussian invasion of the country. The contest was held at Liverpool Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May and a final on 13 May 2023. This was the first time that the contest took place in the city, and was also a record-extending ninth time that the UK has hosted the contest, having last done so inBirminghamin1998.
Liverpool has more galleries and national museums than any other city in the United Kingdom apart from London.National Museums Liverpoolis the only English national collection based wholly outside London.TheTate Liverpoolgallery houses the modern art collection of the Tate in the North of England and was, until the opening ofTate Modern, the largest exhibition space dedicated to modern art in the United Kingdom. TheFACT centrehosts touring multimedia exhibitions, while theWalker Art Galleryhouses one of the most impressive permanent collections ofPre-Raphaeliteart in the world.Sudley Housecontains another major collection of pre-20th-century art.Liverpool University'sVictoria Buildingwas re-opened as a public art gallery and museum to display the university's artwork and historical collections which include the largest display of art byAudubonoutside the US.A number of artists have also come from the city, including painterGeorge Stubbswho was born in Liverpool in 1724.
TheLiverpool Biennialfestival of arts runs from mid-September to late November and comprises three main sections; the International, The Independents and New Contemporaries although fringe events are timed to coincide.It was during the 2004 festival thatYoko Ono's work "My mummy was beautiful" invited controversy when photographs of a woman's breast and crotch were exhibited on the main shopping street.
Felicia Hemans(née Browne) was born in Dale Street, Liverpool, in 1793, although she later moved to Flintshire, in Wales. Felicia was born in Liverpool, a granddaughter of theVenetianconsulin that city. Her father's business soon brought the family toDenbighshirein North Wales, where she spent her youth. They made their home near Abergele andSt. Asaph(Flintshire), and it is clear that she came to regard herself as Welsh by adoption, later referring to Wales as "Land of my childhood, my home and my dead". Her first poems, dedicated to thePrince of Wales, were published in Liverpool in 1808, when she was only fourteen, arousing the interest ofPercy Bysshe Shelley, who briefly corresponded with her.
An engraving of a painting ofThe Wishing Gate. by S. F. Serres was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834 with a poetical illustration byLetitia Elizabeth Landonto which she adds the note 'I believe that to this haunted gate, a common superstition is attached, namely, that to wish, and to have that wish fulfilled, is the result of such wish being uttered while passing'. It stood on the North Shore before the docks were built and was a place where farewells could be waved to departing voyagers.
A number of notable authors have visited Liverpool, includingDaniel Defoe,Washington Irving,Charles Dickens,Thomas De Quincey,Herman Melville,Nathaniel Hawthorne,Gerard Manley HopkinsandHugh Walpole. Defoe, after visiting the city, described it, as "one of the wonders of Britain in his 'Tour through England and Wales'".Melville's novelRedburndeals with the first seagoing voyage of 19 years old Wellingborough Redburn between New York and Liverpool in 1839. Largely autobiographical, the middle sections of the book are set in Liverpool and describe the young merchantman's wanderings, and his reflections.From 1842 to 1869, Dickens visited the city to give public readings of his novels.Hawthorne was stationed in Liverpool as United States consul between 1853 and 1856.Hopkins served as priest at St Francis Xavier Church, Langdale St., Liverpool, between 1879 and 81.Although he is not known to have ever visited Liverpool,Jungfamously had a vivid dream of the city which he analysed in one of his works.
Her Benny, a novel telling the tragic story of Liverpool street urchins in the 1870s, written by Methodist preacherSilas K. Hocking, was a best-seller and the first book to sell a million copies in the author's lifetime.The prolific writer of adventure novels,Harold Edward Bindloss(1866–1945), was born in Liverpool.
The writer, docker and political activistGeorge Garrettwas born inSeacombe, on theWirral Peninsulain 1896 and was brought up in Liverpool's South end, around Park Road, the son of a fierce Liverpool–Irish Catholic mother and a staunch 'Orange' stevedore father. In the 1920s and 1930s, his organisation within the Seamen's Vigilance Committees, unemployed demonstrations, and hunger marches from Liverpool became part of a wider cultural force. He spoke at reconciliation meetings in sectarian Liverpool, and helped found theUnity Theatrein the 1930s as part of thePopular Frontagainst the rise of fascism, particularly its echoes in theSpanish Civil War. Garrett died in 1966.
The novelist and playwrightJames Hanley(1897–1985) was born inKirkdale, Liverpool, in 1897 (notDublin, nor 1901 as he generally implied) to a working-class family.Hanley grew up close to the docks and much of his early writing is about seamen.The Furys(1935) is first in a sequence of five loosely autobiographical novels about working-class life in Liverpool. James Hanley's brother, novelistGerald Hanley(1916–92) was also born in Liverpool (notCounty Cork, Ireland, as he claimed).While he published a number of novels he also wroteradio playsfor the BBC as well as some film scripts, most notablyThe Blue Max(1966).He was also one of several scriptwriters for a life ofGandhi(1964).NovelistBeryl Bainbridge(1932–2010) was born in Liverpool and raised in nearbyFormby. She was primarily known for her works ofpsychological fiction, often set among the English working classes. Bainbridge won theWhitbread Awardsprize for best novel in1977and1996and was nominated five times for theBooker Prize.The Timesnewspaper named Bainbridge among their list of "The 50 greatestBritish writerssince 1945".
J. G. Farrellwas born in Liverpool in 1935 but left at the outbreak of war in 1939.A novelist of Irish descent, Farrell gained prominence for his historical fiction, most notably hisEmpire Trilogy(Troubles,The Siege of KrishnapurandThe Singapore Grip), dealing with the political and human consequences of British colonial rule. However, his career ended when he drowned in Ireland in 1979 at the age of 44.
Helen Forresterwas the pen name of June Bhatia (née Huband) (1919–2011),who was known for her books about her early childhood in Liverpool during theGreat Depression, includingTwopence to Cross the Mersey(1974), as well as several works of fiction. During the late 1960s the city became well known for theLiverpool poets, who includeRoger McGoughand the lateAdrian Henri. An anthology of poems,The Mersey Sound, written by Henri, McGough andBrian Patten, has sold well since it was first being published in 1967.
Liverpool has produced several noted writers of horror fiction, often set on Merseyside –Ramsey Campbell,Clive Barkerand Peter Atkins among them. A collection of Liverpudlian horror fiction,Spook Citywas edited by a Liverpool expatriate, Angus Mackenzie, and introduced by Doug Bradley, also from Liverpool.Bradley is famed for portraying Barker's creation Pinhead in theHellraiserseries of films.
Liverpool also has a long history of performing arts, reflected in several annual theatre festivals such as theLiverpool Shakespeare Festival, which takes place insideLiverpool Cathedraland in the adjacent historic St James' Gardens every summer; the Everyword Festival of new theatre writing, the only one of its kind in the country;Physical Fest, an international festival of physical theatre;the annual festivals organised byLiverpool John Moores University's drama department and theLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts; and other festivals by the large number of theatres in the city, such as theEmpire,Everyman,Playhouse,Royal Court, andUnitytheatres.
Notable actors and actresses from Liverpool includeArthur Askey,Tom Baker,Kim Cattrall,Jodie Comer,Stephen Graham,Rex Harrison,Jason Isaacs,Tina Malone, the McGann brothers (Joe,Mark,Paul, andStephen),David Morrissey,Elizabeth Morton,Peter Serafinowicz,Elisabeth Sladen,Alison Steadman, andRita Tushingham. Actors and actresses from elsewhere in the world have strong ties to the city, such as Canadian actorMike Myers(whose parents were both from Liverpool) and American actressHalle Berry(whose mother was from Liverpool).
Liverpool has a thriving and varied nightlife. The majority of the city's late-night restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, music venues and comedy clubs are located in a number of distinct districts.
In 2023, figures from global data companySquareshow that night-time spending in bars and restaurants inLiverpool city centreoutperformed allmajor UK cities, including London.
Figures by the Liverpool BID Company suggest that the busiest nights of the week inLiverpool city centreare Friday and Saturday. Using cameras to track the flow of people in key locations between 7 pm and 4 am, at least 1.5 million people pass through the city centre every Friday night and almost 2 million people on Saturday nights. The data demonstrates that Monday night is the quietest night of the week in the city centre and footfall then increases every single night to reach its peak on Saturday nights. 125,889 people worked in the city's night time economy as of 2022, according to the Liverpool BID Company.
Liverpool's nightlife is concentrated in a number of districts includingRopewalkswhich comprisesConcert Square, St. Peter's Square and the adjoining Seel Street and Duke Street. Other popular areas includeHardman Street, theCavern Quarter,Baltic Triangle,Royal Albert Dockand the city'sPride Quarter, which is home to a large number ofLGBT venues.
In the city's suburbs,Lark LaneinAigburthis noted for an abundance of bars and late-night venues.
In Liverpool primary and secondary education is available in various forms supported by the state including secular,Church of England, Jewish, and Roman Catholic.Islamiceducation is available at primary level, but there is no secondary provision.
One of Liverpool's important early schools wasThe Liverpool Blue Coat School; founded in 1708 as a charitable school. It is now astategrammar school.
The Liverpool Blue Coat School is the top-performing school in the city with 100% 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE resulting in the 30th best GCSE results in the country and an average point score per student of 1087.4 in A/AS levels.Other notable schools includeLiverpool Collegefounded in 1840Merchant Taylors' Schoolfounded in 1620.Another of Liverpool's notable senior schools isSt. Edward's Collegesituated in the West Derby area of the city. Historic grammar schools, such as theLiverpool Institute High SchoolandLiverpool Collegiate School—both closed in the 1980s—are still remembered as centres of academic excellence. Bellerive Catholic College is the city's top-performing non-selective school, based upon GCSE results in 2007.
Liverpool has three universities: theUniversity of Liverpool,Liverpool John Moores UniversityandLiverpool Hope University.Edge Hill University, founded as ateacher-training collegein theEdge Hilldistrict of Liverpool, is now located inOrmskirkin South-West Lancashire. Liverpool is also home to theLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts(LIPA).
TheUniversity of Liverpoolwas established in 1881 as University College Liverpool. In 1884, it became part of the federalVictoria University. Following a Royal Charter and Act of Parliament in 1903, it became an independent university, the University of Liverpool, with the right to confer its own degrees. It was the first university to offer degrees in biochemistry, architecture, civic design, veterinary science, oceanography and social science.
Liverpool Hope University, which was formed through the merger of three colleges, the earliest of which was founded in 1844, gained university status in 2005. It is the only ecumenical university in Europe.It is situated on both sides of Taggart Avenue in Childwall and has a second campus in the city centre (the Cornerstone).
TheLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine, founded to address some of the problems created by trade, continues today as a post-graduate school affiliated with the University of Liverpool and houses an anti-venom repository.
Liverpool John Moores Universitywas previously apolytechnic, and gained status in 1992. It is named in honour ofSir John Moores, one of the founders of theLittlewoodsfootball pools and retail group, who was a major benefactor. The institution was previously owned and run by Liverpool City Council. It traces it lineage to the LiverpoolMechanics' institute, opened in 1823, making it by this measure England's third-oldest university.
The city has onefurther educationcollege,City of Liverpool Collegein the city centre. Liverpool City Council operatesBurton Manor, a residentialadult educationcollege in nearbyBurton, on theWirral Peninsula.
There are two Jewish schools in Liverpool, both belonging to the King David Foundation.King David School, Liverpool, is the High School and the King David Primary School. There is also a King David Kindergarten, featured in the community centre of Harold House. These schools are all run by the King David Foundation located in Harold House in Childwall; conveniently next door to theChildwallSynagogue.
Liverpool is one of the most successful footballing cities in England, and is home to two top flightPremier Leagueteams.Everton F.C.was founded in 1878 and was one of the twelve founder members of theFootball League. It plays atGoodison Park.Liverpool F.C.were founded in 1892 and play atAnfield. Between them, the clubs have won 28 English First Division titles, 12FA Cuptitles, 10League Cuptitles, 6European Cuptitles, 1FIFA Club World Cuptitle, 1European Cup Winners' Cuptitle, 3UEFA Cuptitles, and 24FA Charity Shields.
The two clubs contest theMerseyside derby, dubbed the 'friendly derby'. Despite the name the fixture is known for its keen rivalry, having seen more sending-offs in this fixture than any other. Unlike many other derbies it is not rare for families in the city to contain supporters of both clubs.Liverpool F.C. is the English and British club with the most European Cup titles with six, the latest in2019.
Liverpoolhas played atAnfieldsince 1892, when the club was formed to occupy the stadium followingEverton'sdeparture due to a dispute with their landlord. Liverpool are still playing there 125 years later, although the ground has been completely rebuilt since the 1970s. The Spion Kop (rebuilt as an all-seater stand in 1994–95) was the most famous part of the ground, gaining cult status across the world due to the songs and celebrations of the many fans who packed onto its terraces. Anfield as capacity for 54,000 spectators in comfort and is a distinctive landmark in an area filled with smaller and older buildings. Liverpool club also has a multimillion-pound youth training facility called The Academy.
After leaving Anfield in 1892,Evertonmoved toGoodison Parkon the opposite side ofStanley Park. The ground was opened on 24 August 1892, by Lord Kinnaird and Frederick Wall of the FA but the first crowds to attend the ground saw a short athletics meeting followed by a selection of music and a fireworks display. Everton's first game there was on 2 September 1892 when they beat Bolton 4–2. It was one of the host venues during the1966 FIFA World Cup. It now has the capacity for just under 40,000 spectators all-seated, but the last expansion took place in 1994 when a new Park End Stand gave the stadium an all-seater capacity. The Goodison Road Stand dates back to the 1970s, while the Gwladys Street Stand and Bullens Road Stand are refurbished pre-Second World War structures.
Evertonis currently in the process of relocating, with a stadium move first mooted as early as 1996.In 2003, the club were forced to abandon plans for a 55,000-seat stadium atKing's Dockdue to financial constraints,with further proposed moves to Kirkby (comprising part ofDestination Kirkby, moving the stadium just beyond Liverpool's council boundary intoKirkby) and Walton Hall Park similarly scrapped.
The club will relocate to the multimillion-poundEverton Stadiumdesigned by the American architectDan Meisat the nearbyBramley-Moore Dockon theRiver Merseywaterfront during the 2025/26 season, with ground broken on the project in August 2021.The new stadium will have a capacity of 52,888 which could be expanded to 62,000 demand permitting and it will be a host venue for theUEFA Euro 2028. Everton also have a multimillion-pound training facility based atFinch Farm. TheEverton Women's Teamplay in theWomen's Super Leagueat theWalton Hall Park Stadium.
Boxing is massively popular in Liverpool. The city has a proud heritage and history in the sport and is home to around 22 amateur boxing clubs, which are responsible for producing many successful boxers, such asNel Tarleton,Alan Rudkin,John Conteh,Andy Holligan,Liam Smith,Paul Hodkinson,Tony BellewandRobin Ried. The city also boasts a consistently strong amateur contingent which is highlighted by Liverpool being the most represented city on theGB Boxingteam, as well as at the2012 London Olympics, the most notable Liverpool amateur fighters include;Jimmy Lloyd,George Turpin,Tony Willis,Robin ReidandDavid Pricewho have all medalled at theOlympic Games. Boxing events are usually hosted at theEcho ArenaandLiverpool Olympiawithin the city, although the former home of Liverpool boxing was the renownedLiverpool Stadium.
Aintree Racecoursein the adjacentMetropolitan Borough of Seftonis home to the world's most famous steeple-chase, theRandox Grand Nationalwhich takes place annually in early April. The race meeting attracts horse owners/ jockeys from around the world to compete in the demanding 4-mile (6.5-kilometre) and 30-fence course. There have been many memorable moments of the Grand National, for instance, the 100/1 outsider Foinavon in 1967, the dominantRed RumandGinger McCainof the 1970s andMon Mome(100/1) who won the 2009 meeting. In 2010, the National became the first horse race to be televised inhigh-definitionin the UK.
TheRoyal Liverpool Golf Club, situated in the nearby town ofHoylakeon the Wirral Peninsula, has hostedThe Open Championshipon a number of occasions, most recently in2023. It also hosted theWalker Cupin 1983.
Liverpool once contained four greyhound tracks,Seaforth Greyhound Stadium(1933–1965),Breck Park Stadium(1927–1948),Stanley Greyhound Stadium(1927–1961) andWhite City Stadium(1932–1973). Breck Park also hosted boxing bouts and both Stanley and Seaforth hostedMotorcycle speedway.
Wavertree Sports Parkis home to the Liverpool Harriers athletics club, which has produced such athletes asCurtis Robb,Allyn Condon(the only British athlete to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympics), andKatarina Johnson-Thompson; Great Britain was represented by Johnson-Thompson at the2012 London Olympicsin the women's heptathlon, and she would go on to win the gold medal at the2019 World Championships, giving Liverpool its first gold medal and breaking theBritish recordin the process.
In August 2012, Liverpool gymnastBeth Tweddlewon an Olympic bronze medal inLondon 2012in the uneven bars at her thirdOlympic Games, thus becoming the most decorated British gymnast in history. Park Road Gymnastics Centre provides training to a high level.
Liverpool has produced several swimmers who have represented their nation at major championships such as theOlympic Games. The most notable of which isSteve Parrywho claimed a bronze medal at the2004 Athens Olympicsin the 200m butterfly. Others include Herbert Nickel Haresnape,Margaret Kelly, Shellagh Ratcliffe and Austin Rawlinson. There is a purpose-built aquatics centre atWavertree Sports Park, which opened in 2008. The City of Liverpool Swimming Club has been National Speedo League Champions 8 out of the last 11 years.
The city is the hub of theLiverpool and District Cricket Competition, anECBPremier League.Sefton ParkandLiverpoolare the league's founder members based in the city with Wavertree, Alder and Old Xaverians clubs having joined the league more recently.Liverpool plays hostLancashire County Cricket Clubas an outground most seasons, including six of eight homeCounty Championshipgames during Lancashire's 2011title winning campaignwhileOld Traffordwas refurbished.
Since 2014Liverpool Cricket Clubhas played hostto the annualTradition-ICAP Liverpool Internationaltennis tournament, which has seen tennis stars such asNovak Djokovic,David Ferrer,Mardy Fish,Laura RobsonandCaroline Wozniacki. Previously this had been held atCalderstones Park, situated inAllertonin the south of the city. Liverpool Tennis Development Programme at Wavertree Tennis Centre is one of the largest in the UK.
Professional basketball came to the city in 2007 with the entry of Everton Tigers, later known asMersey Tigers, into the eliteBritish Basketball League. The club was originally associated with Everton F.C., and was part of theToxteth Tigersyouth development programme, which reached over 1,500 young people every year.The Tigers began to play in Britain's top league for the2007–08 season, playing at theGreenbank Sports Academybefore moving into the newly completedEcho Arenaduring that season. After the 2009–10 season, Everton F.C. withdrew funding from the Tigers, who then changed their name to Mersey Tigers. The club were expelled from the British Basketball League in 2013 due to financial problems.
Liverpool is one of three cities which still host the traditional sport ofBritish baseballand it hosts the annual England-Wales international match every two years, alternating withCardiffandNewport. Liverpool Trojans are the oldest existing baseball club in the UK.
The2014 Tour of Britaincycle race began in Liverpool on 7 September, using a city centre circuit to complete 130 km (80.8 mi) of racing.The Tour of Britain took nine stages and finished in London on 14 September.
A 2016 study of UK fitness centres found that, of the top 20 UK urban areas, Liverpool had the highest number of leisure and sports centres per capita, with 4.3 centres per 100,000 of the city population.
The city has one daily newspaper: theEcho, published byReach plc.The Liverpool Daily Postwas also published until 2013. The UK's first online only weekly newspaper calledSouthport Reporter(Southport andMersey Reporter), is also one of the many other news outlets that cover the city. The independent media organisationThe Postalso covers Liverpool, whileNervemagazinepublishes articles and reviews of cultural events.
Liverpool TVis a local television station serving Liverpool City Region and surrounding areas. The station is owned and operated by Made Television Ltd and forms part of a group of eight local TV stations. It broadcasts from studios and offices in Liverpool.
TheITVregion which covers Liverpool isITV Granada. In 2006, the Television company opened a new newsroom in the Royal Liver Building. Granada's regional news broadcasts were produced at theRoyal Albert DockNews Centre during the 1980s and 1990s.TheBBCalso opened a new newsroom on Hanover Street in 2006.
ITV's daily magazine programmeThis Morningwas broadcast from studios atRoyal Albert Dockuntil 1996, when production was moved to London. Granada's short-lived shopping channel "Shop!" was also produced in Liverpool until it was cancelled in 2002.
Liverpool is the home of the TV production companyLime Pictures, formerly Mersey Television, which produced the now-defunct soap operasBrooksideandGrange Hill. It also produces the soap operaHollyoaks, which was formerly filmed inChesterand began onChannel 4in 1995. All three series were/are largely filmed in theChildwallarea of Liverpool.
Radio stations includeBBC Radio Merseyside,Hits Radio Liverpool,Greatest Hits Radio,Capital Liverpool,In Demand Radio, Liverpool Live Radio,and Melodic Distraction.Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio are owned byBauerand located inSt Johns Beaconwhich, along with the two cathedrals, dominates the city's skyline.
Liverpool has also featured in films;seeList of films set in Liverpoolfor some of them. In films the city has "doubled" for London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Moscow, Dublin, Venice and Berlin.
Liverpool istwinnedwith:
Liverpool has friendship links (without formal constitution)with the following cities:
The first overseasconsulate of the United Stateswas opened in Liverpool in 1790, and it remained operational for almost two centuries.Today, a large number of consulates are located in the city serving Chile,Denmark,Estonia,Finland, France, Germany,Hungary,Iceland, Italy,Netherlands,Norway,Romania, Sweden andThailand. Tunisian & Ivory Coast Consulates are located in the neighbouringMetropolitan Borough of Sefton.
The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Cityof Liverpool.