There’s a festive takeover at St George’s Hall as the venue gets into the Christmas spirit – inside and out!
The season will get underway with the return of the popular Christmas markets on Saturday (19 November), which will see dozens of festive cabins located on St George’s Hall plateau and along William Brown Street.
Expect festive food offerings along with unique Christmas gifts, decorations, art, crafts and jewellery courtesy of a wide range of crafters and makers. There will be a mix of old and new bars serving festive drinks, with local performers providing entertainment through the week. For those who fancy a sing-a-long, the karaoke ski lifts will be back.
The big wheel, snow slide and Santa Land rides all return to add to the family fun.
The market is open between 11am to 9pm Monday to Wednesday, and 11am to 10pm Thursday to Sunday. It closes on Christmas Eve.
Other festive activities at the Hall include:
The Luna Winter Cinema – The Great Hall is set to be transformed into the ultimate festive cinema from Saturday 10 to Friday 23 December. The Luna Cinema team will be screening a whole host of Christmas crackers, from Elf to Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life to Die Hard, and with mince pies and mulled wine on offer, it’s guaranteed to be a very merry Christmas. Head here for a full film schedule and booking details.
Christmas performances – From Thursday 8 to Saturday 31 December, a series of live, ticketed performances will take over the beautiful Concert Room. Events include a carol concert, a candlelit performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a swing music festive special with a live orchestra, and not one, but two, adaptations of A Christmas Carol – one performed by Dickens’ great-great grandson and the other by local theatre company Ginificent.
And it’s not all about St George’s Hall, as Liverpool Town Hall is set to welcome a very special visitor.
On various dates from Saturday 3 to Saturday 24 December, Father Christmas will take some time out from his hectic schedule for Story Time with Santa. Joined by his friend Buddy The Elf there will be some magical stories and a sing-song or two in their magical Town Hall grotto. The event is aimed at youngsters aged 1 to 10 years old and each session lasts 45 minutes. Tickets are £22 per child and two adults can accompany them for free. For more information and tickets, visit here.
For a guide to all the great events taking place at St George’s Hall, head to the official What’s On page.
Reaction
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“Liverpool is fast becoming known as one of the most festive cities in the UK. Each year the Christmas market grows in popularity and we had some fantastic feedback from shoppers and traders in 2021, which the operator can use to build on and improve the offer each year.
“It’s great to see two of the city’s most beautiful buildings come to life at this time of year with such a comprehensive and high-quality range of events. Not only are they a great way to get into the Christmas spirit, but they are key economic drivers which bring people in from outside the city who not only enjoy the event, but then go on to spend money in our shops, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Liverpool really is the perfect family-friendly Christmas destination.”
Head of Clarke Events, Clarke Storey said:
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors back this year to the Liverpool Christmas Market. We think we have made this year even more magical with our newest addition of a double height vintage carousel and some traditional roasted chestnut carts throughout the event to fill the air with the smell of the festive season.
“This year, you can expect more local entertainment, a wider range of international street foods and treats, some new and exciting crafters and the return of our popular Snowslide, Ferris Wheel, Santa Land and wide range of bars including the Karaoke ski lifts.”
Head of Venue Operations for Liverpool City Halls, Hannah Sweeney, said:
“We are really pleased to be welcoming back the Liverpool Christmas Market to St George’s Plateau, William Brown Street and St John’s Gardens this year.
“With a slightly bigger footprint than last year in place, due to the conclusion of roadworks on Lime Street, the Christmas Market promises to be a festive favourite for residents and visitors alike, and will be the perfect complement to the jam-packed Christmas calendar of events which we have taking place in St George’s Hall.
“In addition the amazing Luna Winter Cinema returning to our Great Hall for the first time since 2019, our Concert Room will be back-to-back with a selection of concerts and stage performances to choose from – giving audiences plenty of scope to harness that magical Christmas spirit which we love here in Liverpool.
“We’re also delighted that the Town Hall is back in action with the return of children’s favourite, Story Time with Santa! Kids who have visited this event in recent years have been mesmerised by the warmth and charm of Santa and his friend, Buddy – purely because they are given much more time to interact than they would do at a regular grotto. Add in the enchanting surroundings of our stunning, Georgian-era Town Hall and you have all you need to give your little ones a memorable Christmas experience.”
Image: Stratus Imagery, taken in 2021.