Liverpool Giants show 'was city's largest ever free event'

The four-day event saw huge puppets dazzling crowds across the city and in Wirral

A spectacular street show featuring giant puppets in Liverpool was the largest ever free event to be staged in the city, according to a report.

The Liverpool Dreams Giants show in October attracted some 1.3m visitors to the city and neighbouring Wirral.

The four-day event also boosted the economy by £61m, an independent report by the Liverpool City Region's Local Enterprise Partnership showed.

It was larger than the Three Queens event in 2015, which saw 1.2m visitors.

Liverpool City Council said the figures "smash" the economic record set by the puppets' previous visit in 2014, which was said to have generated £46m for the local economy.

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said the city is used to staging major outdoor events but October's event "took it to the next level".

Mr Anderson said the "creative brilliance" of organisers Royal de Luxe attracted people from around the world.

He added: "Very few cities in the world have the creative ambitions to push boundaries, so I am proud that Liverpool and Wirral stand out from the crowd."

The Giants also crossed the River Mersey to visit neighbouring Wirral

City region mayor Steve Rotheram said the finale "exceeded all expectations".

Many of the city's businesses and other attractions reported big increases in visitors during the event.

Sue Grindrod, chief executive of the Royal Albert Dock said there had been a "massive spike" in footfall, with a 65% increase on the same weekend in 2017.

The Museum of Liverpool said it experienced a 181% rise in visitors, while Tate Liverpool said it had the busiest weekend of the year.

The event attracted some 1.3m visitors