page_title: Brazilica Festival
section_title: 2011-2012
hierarchical_section_title: Brazilica Festival / History / 2011-2012
caption_attribution_description: English: A picture of Brazilica Festival in Liverpool city centre
context_page_description: The Brazilica Festival is the largest celebration of Brazilian culture in the United Kingdom that has been held annually in Liverpool, England since July 2008. It is produced by the Liverpool Carnival Company, an organisation that has operated as a registered charity since 2007. The festival began during Liverpool's reign as European Capital of Culture in 2008 when a Rio-style Carnival Parade swept through the streets of the city. In its current format, the festival consists of a week-long celebration of Brazilian culture including music, art, food, film and dance events that take place at indoor venues across the city which build up to an outdoor city centre carnival street party that takes place in Williamson Square and samba carnival parade.
context_section_description: In 2011, it was decided to expand the annual Parade into a weekend of activity celebrating the culture of Brazil in greater depth. It is from this point the festival became known as 'Brazilica'.
  One of the most notable additions to the festival was the positioning of a music stage, Latin American food festival and market place in the city centre location of Williamson Square that took place on the same day as the annual Carnival Parade. Instead of finishing at The Picket (as in previous years) the Parade came to an end at Williamson Square where performers took to the stage to close the festival.
  In anticipation of Brazil playing host to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the festival also hosts a Soccer Zone in the Clayton Square area of the city centre. The programme has been delivered by Liverpool F.C., Liverpool AFC, Liverpool Homeless FC and Brazilian Soccer Schools since 2011.
  The festival also continued to host its annual Carnival Queen dance competition and, in 2011, hosted its inaugural Carnival Ball event. Both remain popular annual events taking place during the festival.
  In 2012, Brazilica Festival teamed up with Festinho to open the weekend with a club night at Cream Nightclub featuring DJs including Norman Jay and DJ Marky.
  By 2012, the festival had attracted over 80,000 visitors making it officially the largest Samba Carnival in the UK.
caption: Crowds in Williamson Square at Brazilica Festival 2012
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