Visitors to Liverpool’s waterfront venue ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and from 2015 Exhibition Centre Liverpool, are being given a dramatic preview of the spectacular salute to the city being staged by Cunard’s Three Queens next year.
Cunard’s flagship, the 150,000 ton Queen Mary 2, will be joined by her two 90,000 ton sisters Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, in a ‘Three Queens, One Magnificent City’ celebration to mark Cunard’s 175th anniversary.
The gathering promises to be a once in a lifetime rendezvous for the three ships in Cunard’s spiritual home. It is expected to attract up to one million spectators to the banks of the Mersey next May .
Before then, the size and scale of the spectacle being planned can be seen in the latest Through the Wall installation on view at ACC Liverpool.
A specially-designed giant image of the three ships sailing in close formation has been put on view in the award-winning venue’s main Galleria. Mayor Joe Anderson and ACC Liverpool Chief Executive Bob Prattey unveiled the striking artwork to Cunard Director Angus Struthers.
Mayor Anderson said: “It is hard to imagine or visualise the scale of what is being planned for Cunard’s 175th Anniversary celebrations next May and July, but this dramatic image of the Three Queens together in open water gives you some idea of what’s coming to Cunard’s spiritual home. It will create a new chapter of maritime history, and once again the eyes of the world will fall on Liverpool and its waterfront. Visitors to ACC Liverpool will be able to study this image then look across the river to imagine what awaits us when the fleet arrives next May.”
The Three Queens. One Magnificent City celebration next May coincides with a major milestone for ACC Liverpool as they prepare to open Exhibition Centre Liverpool, an 8100m2 purpose built exhibition centre, interlinked to the existing facilities at the venue
ACC Liverpool Chief Executive Bob Prattey said: “Cunard’s commitment for Liverpool to take centre stage in its 175th Anniversary celebrations is a magnificent global marketing opportunity for the City Region. As soon as we saw this image, we wanted to start telling everyone visiting ACC Liverpool that The Fleet Is Coming to our waterfront. Next May and July’s Cunard events will provide a brilliant backdrop to the opening of Exhibition Centre Liverpool later in the year. The riverside will be the place to be in Liverpool in 2015.”
Angus Struthers, Cunard Director, said: “Our 175 Anniversary celebrations have really captured the imagination of people, businesses and organisations across our spiritual home. We are delighted that initiatives like this at ACC Liverpool are adding to the buzz of anticipation and excitement. The arrival of our Three Queens on the Mersey waterfront promises to be the most spectacular gathering of the Cunard fleet.”
