Liverpool Council is to formally accept more than half a million pounds from the city’s private sector towards the staging of Eurovision.
After it was confirmed in October last year Liverpool had won the right to host the European song contest, questions swirled around how the city would finance the show. In December, the local authority said it would put up a capped amount of £2m, matched by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Liverpool BID Company, which supports hundreds of businesses across the city, is to put up £600,000, which the council’s cabinet is to formally accept when it meets on Friday. Bill Addy, Liverpool BID chief executive, told a culture and visitor economy select committee hearing last year the company had made a £300,000 contribution towards staging the song contest and would also underwrite the fan zone that will be situated on the Pier Head for the same amount.
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A report ahead of the cabinet meeting later this week has revealed new details around how the money will be spent. Almost half of the £300,000 towards the event will go on the opening ceremony, while £60,000 has already been used for the handover and draw, staged at St George’s Hall.
The report said: “This includes the provision of city branding, the costs of arranging the Turquoise Carpet event, a delegate social programme and the heads of delegation meeting.” It added: “In the event that the net profit generated by the food and beverage operation at the Eurovision Village is less than £300,000, then only the net profit generated - an amount less than £300,000 - will be paid back to Liverpool BID Company.
“The amount payable back to Liverpool BID Company Limited shall not exceed £300,000.” The financial contribution has also scored the BID company some perks during the competition, with the report saying the organisation is “granted the following rights and benefits in return for the level of investment.”
These include two tickets to the grand final, guaranteed access for up to ten persons per day at the Eurovision Village to host Liverpool BID Company Limited guests and access for up to four Liverpool BID Company Limited guests at the opening ceremony, details of which are yet to be confirmed. Alongside the private sector investment, Liverpool Council has handed out contracts worth around £330,000 for a number of services towards the event.
More than £77,000 has been spent on the provision of toilets while a further £82,000 has gone towards a PA system for the fan village on the Pier Head according to the city’s online register of contracts.
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