Cunard centenary celebrations this weekend

The Pier Head is part of the World Heritage site

ONE of Liverpool’s Three Graces is celebrating a very special birthday this weekend.

Saturday 2 July marks the centenary of the Cunard Building, and there are plans in place to make sure it is a very happy birthday for the iconic venue.

To kick start Saturday’s celebrations, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will sail in to the city at around 7.15am, and will remain berthed at Liverpool’s Cruise Terminal until around 10.15pm when she will depart against a backdrop of stunning fireworks.

Earlier in the day, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Roz Gladden will join Captain of Queen Elizabeth, Inger Klein Olsen (first ever female captain of Cunard ship) to unveil an impressive, 50m long stone seat which stretches the full length of the Cunard Building.

The granite bench, located on the Strand side of the building, features a specially designed piece of artwork called The Journey which uses bronze illustrations and writing to chart the history of Cunard, from 1839 to the present day.

Two free concerts are then set to take place on the Pier Head in the afternoon and then once again in the evening.

Visitors are encouraged to come along and bring their flags and singing voices as they are entertained with performances from the Royal Marines Band, Liverpool Welsh Choral and opera singer Danielle Thomas who will be singing classics such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory alongside contemporary numbers such as Proud Mary and All You Need is Love.

And of course, because of the occasion, each concert will feature Happy Birthday as the finale.

The first concert will take place at 2.30pm until around 3.15pm, and then will be repeated 9.30-10.15pm, finishing just before Queen Elizabeth departs.

There is also the opportunity to be one of the first visitors to the Cunard Building’s brand new exhibition dedicated to The Jam. This is the first weekend About The Young Idea opens to the public and is packed full with never-before-seen archives and memorabilia. The exhibition is being described as a must-visit not only for fans of The Jam, but for music lovers everywhere.  

Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “Liverpool loves a party, and we couldn’t let this centenary pass without a fitting celebration.
 
“The arrival of a Cunard vessel in to the city always draws a crowd, so we wanted to make sure that we put on an event so people can feel part of the celebrations.

“We always get a fantastic reaction to any live music, so what better than to organise a free concert which encourages a good old sing-along and makes it a great day out for all the family – with a fireworks finale topping off the fun.”
 

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