Huge Halloween Lantern Carnival coming to Liverpool city centre on Sunday, October 29
After weeks of whispers and spooky speculation, it is today confirmed that Lantern Company is bringing its legendary Halloween Lantern Carnival to the city on Sunday, October 29.
All the family are invited to join the fun as shadowy inhabitants - including illuminated giant beasts, skeletons and ghostly dancing apparitions, deathly street bands and other monstrosities - will roam the streets for one night only in a dazzling Halloween Lantern Carnival parade, the likes of which have never been seen before in the city centre.
Starting from the Pilgrim Street/Hardman St junction at 6pm, the spectacle will make its way, flapping, hopping and rattling through the city streets down towards the river, with the best vantage points being on Hardman Street, Bold Street, Church Street, Paradise Street, Thomas Steer Way, and Albert Dock, where at 7pm the carnival will disappear as quickly as it arrived.
Families are also invited to take part by attending a number of free lantern and mask making workshops to be held at Albert Dock, Metquarter and St Johns Shopping Centre during the half term week.
Those created at Albert Dock will then become part of a magical static display around the Grade I listed estate, featuring no less than 500 lanterns all lit up on the evenings of October 28 and 29. These will join a variety of large animal lanterns that will be dotted around the Dock and illuminated from this Saturday (October 21) right through to Bonfire Night (November 5).
Halloween Lantern Carnival is happening thanks to a partnership between Lantern Company, Albert Dock Liverpool, Culture Liverpool, and Liverpool BID Company.
Jo Pocock, artistic director, Lantern Company, said:
“We are very excited to finally be able to announce that the rumours are true - Halloween Lantern Carnival really is heading back to Liverpool this October!
“Although most of those taking part are in fact underworld inhabitants via the shady Bare Bones Tours plc, we are delighted to also be working with many brilliant local performing arts groups, bands and colleges. This huge scale carnival will be an incredible and truly extraordinary spectacle to behold for fun lovers of all ages.
“We would like to make a special thank you to our partners for making this all possible.”
Speaking on behalf of Albert Dock Liverpool, Gavin Tuck, from Small Back Room, said:
“It has been a joy working with our city partners Culture Liverpool, Liverpool BID Company, and of course the wonderfully creative team at Lantern Company, and from our perspective it is part of a continued strategic reinvention of the retail and leisure offer of Albert Dock.
“We encourage the community to come together and get involved in the free, lantern and mask making workshops. Not only are they great fun, but they offer a sneak peek of the magic that goes into Lantern Company’s amazing creations, and there’s even a chance your lanterns will be put on display at Albert Dock!
“Lantern Company have produced a fantastic, free, family spectacle to mark Halloween. Liverpool is famous worldwide for throwing a party - and Halloween Lantern Carnival will not disappoint.”
Assistant mayor and cabinet member for culture, tourism and events, councillor Wendy Simon, said:
“Lantern Company produce some incredible work, so it’s great news that we can work with our partners to bring this popular event to the streets of Liverpool.
“It will be a fantastic, free, spooky night out for all the family, and it will be a great taste of what people can expect just a week later on November 5 when Lantern Company take part in the pre-show for the River of Light fireworks and music spectacular!”
Bill Addy, chief executive, Liverpool BID Company, added:
“Speaking on behalf of the BID businesses on and around Bold Street and Church Street, we cannot wait to welcome the Halloween Lantern Carnival later this month. It promises to be a visual treat for visitors and another great reason to visit our vibrant city centre. Metquarter and St Johns also have some brilliant, free workshops on October 28, so bring the family along and have some hands-on fun.”
