Leveraging Eurovision 2023: LCR Music Board Achieves Key Legacy Goals

Last year, Liverpool, renowned for its musical heritage, hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. The Liverpool City Region Music Board (LCRMB) played a pivotal role not only in bringing Eurovision to Liverpool but also in ensuring a lasting legacy for the city and the wider region.

Over the past 12 months LCRMB has made significant strides toward achieving the Eurovision Legacy Group’s Four Key Aims, as detailed in the University of Liverpool’s Heseltine Institute Policy Briefing ‘Delivering a Eurovision legacy for Liverpool’s music sector’.

Progress on the Four Key Goals:

Maximising UNESCO City of Music Status
The LCRMB has leveraged Liverpool’s designation as England’s only UNESCO City of Music (since 2015) to promote the region’s contemporary music scenes and its status as a premier music destination. Central to this effort is the “Liverpool Music City” campaign.

The website www.liverpoolmusiccity.com, launched earlier this year, serves as a hub for all things music in Liverpool. It features local artists, venues, talent development programmes, and stories about Liverpool’s rich musical heritage. This content is curated by passionate individuals from the city’s music sector, including freelance journalists, photographers, content creators, and a diverse array of artists and industry professionals.

Liverpool Music City branding has been strategically placed at key locations across the city and region, prominently displayed on landmarks like St George’s Hall. While placements at the airport and Lime Street Station are still pending, the campaign’s visibility is already significant.

Improving Night-time Transport Infrastructure
The Eurovision fortnight highlighted the necessity for post-midnight public transport, exposing the lack of regular night buses across the city region. The LCRMB, in collaboration with Liverpool University and Liverpool Nightlife CIC, spearheaded efforts to reinstate night buses through a pilot project.

After significant campaigning and a public consultation, the N1 Night Bus was successfully launched in December 2023. This late-night service is a pivotal step towards boosting the region’s night-time economy, offering convenient and affordable travel for visitors frequenting bars, clubs, live music venues, theatres, and those working late hours.

Operated by Stagecoach, the new N1 Night Bus service connects South Liverpool, Liverpool City Centre, and Birkenhead, facilitating a cross-river service to Wirral. Running in the early morning hours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the service is priced at just £2 for a single fare, presenting an economical transport option.

Marketing the Live Music Sector
Post-Eurovision, the focus shifted to marketing Liverpool’s vibrant live music scene through collaborative efforts with Marketing Liverpool and Visit Liverpool. The “Discover a New Beat” campaign was developed to highlight the city region’s diverse music offerings. Local venues, attractions, artists, and hospitality partners participated in the campaign, which invited influencers and content creators to Liverpool for a 48-hour musical discovery. Their user-generated content showcased the city’s diverse musical landscape, creating genuine and relatable content that generated excitement about Liverpool’s music scene.

The campaign utilised a full marketing mix—outdoor advertising, email marketing, paid social media, radio campaigns, PR, video, and photography. A PR stunt featured performances by local artists in iconic locations, including DJ Lauren Lo Sung at the Bombed Out Church, grime rapper Koj at Liverpool FC, Red Rum Club at the Cavern, and Michael Aldag busking at Liverpool One. And, the flagship “Discover a New Beat” video captures the essence of Liverpool’s music scene against iconic backdrops and emphasises the city’s uniqueness, encouraging viewers to see Liverpool as a world-class music destination.

Securing Corporate Commitment to Music Education
Recognising the influx of international and national corporate sponsors during Eurovision, the LCRMB identified an opportunity to channel corporate social responsibility towards sustaining the region’s music education programmes. Board members engaged with sponsors to allocate funds towards talent development initiatives. While the Board is yet to secure firm commitments from sponsors, discussions remain active and new opportunities are continually pursued.

In the year since hosting Eurovision, the Liverpool City Region Music Board has successfully harnessed the event’s momentum to achieve significant legacy goals. They not only enhance Liverpool’s reputation as a premier music destination but also reinforce its status as a city where music thrives, uniting and inspiring generations locally and globally. Liverpool’s post-Eurovision journey exemplifies how strategic initiatives can create lasting cultural and economic benefits, solidifying its place on the world stage.