As “European Capital of Culture 2008”, Liverpool has big plans. The former industrial city on the River Mersey, now the second most important cultural metropolis in Great Britain after London, is celebrating its cultural heritage and its modern artistic diversity.

The designation as Capital of Culture was also a signal for the regeneration of the run-down post-industrial city. Regeneration and modernity is the motto of an unprecedented building boom that has already transformed entire districts. The rapid structural change and the development of the cultural sector should turn Liverpool into a tourist magnet in the long term. After all, the metropolis has produced many artists who are known worldwide for their outstanding contributions to literature, architecture, film, theater and music. First and foremost the Beatles, the city’s most famous sons. The cult of the legendary band is omnipresent and is kept alive by dozens of cover bands. With the most famous group, the Mersey Beatles, the film embarks on a journey of discovery through Liverpool.

Certainly, the Capital of Culture events alone cannot lead Liverpool out of its long-standing crisis. But they have given the metropolis a new appeal and enabled encounters with unusual artists. People see new opportunities and have renewed hope. Liverpool is on its way to becoming a vibrant cultural metropolis.