GIANTS 2018 - The Route Is Revealed
13 September 2018, 06:24 | Updated: 13 September 2018, 06:37
The Giants are coming back to Liverpool... and this time they will be on the Wirral as well!
There are just over three weeks until Giant visitors will walk the streets of Liverpool and Wirral (Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 October) - in what will be the final in the trilogy of Giant spectaculars.
For this latest instalment, the world-famous street theatre company Royal de Luxe, from Nantes, wants to keep the event shrouded in mystery so will not be revealing which Giants are heading to our shores just yet.
However, the team behind the event can say where they will be walking. All 20.6miles of it…
The main ‘walking’ action of the show takes place from the Friday to Sunday (5-7th). The action kicks off from 10am on Friday in Liverpool on St George’s Hall Plateau.
On the other side of the water in New Brighton, another Giant will wake at Fort Perch Rock at 11am and will spend the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Wirral.
Saturday will see all the Giants in Liverpool – they will all come together in the afternoon and spend the rest of their time in the city together.
The show culminates on Sunday with a focus on the waterfront and a parade finale. And as this is Royal de Luxe’s final ever time in the city, expect some surprises…
Details of the static element of the show taking place on Thursday 4 October will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The full route for the Giants is as follows:
Friday 5 October
Liverpool Giant Route
10am – 1pm (approx)
Wake up 10am on St George’s Hall Plateau, walk to Lime Street, Renshaw Street, across St Luke’s Place onto Berry Street, Upper Duke Street, Catharine Street, across Upper Parliament Street onto Princes Road, Princes Gate West, Devonshire Road and into Princes Park where a siesta will take place.
4.15pm – 7.15pm (approx)
Wake up in Princes Park, walk to Devonshire Road, Princes Gate West, Princes Road, across Upper Parliament Street, Catharine Street, Canning Street, Upper Duke Street, Duke Street, Paradise Street, Liver Street, turn onto The Strand onto Queens Wharf for an evening sleep.
Wirral Giant Route
11.15am – 1pm (approx)
Wakes up next to the lighthouse at Fort Perch Rock, walk along Marine Promenade, onto Coastal Drive towards Kings Parade to have a siesta.
3pm – 5.15pm (approx)
Wakes up at The Dips, head along Kings Parade, Marine Promenade, Tower Promenade and Magazines Promenade.
Saturday 6 October
Liverpool Giant Route #1
10am – 1pm (approx)
Wake up in Queens Wharf, onto Wapping, The Strand, Paradise Street, Hanover Street, Church Street, Whitechapel, Stanley Street across Victoria Street, Dale Street, Castle Street, Derby Square, James Street across The Strand to Mann Island where there will be a stop for a siesta.
3.30pm – 5.45pm (approx)
Wake up at Mann Island, continue onto Canada Boulevard, Water Street, The Strand before making a u-turn returning onto The Strand, George’s Dock Gates where all Giants meet and continue onto New Quay, Bath Street, Waterloo Road and Clarence Dock for their evening sleep.
Liverpool Giant Route #2
11am - 12.50pm (approx)
Wakes up at Canning Dock, onto Salthouse Quay, The Strand, James Street, Castle Street, Dale Street, Crosshall Street, across Victoria Street, Whitechapel, St John’s Lane, St George’s Place, Lime Street, Elliot Street, Great Charlotte Street, Ranelagh Street, Church Street, Lord Street onto Derby Square where there will be a siesta.
3.50pm – 5.45pm (approx)
Wakes up at Derby Square and continues onto Castle Street, Dale Street, Moorfields, Tithebarn Street, Chapel Street, George’s Dock Gates, where all Giants meet up and continue onto Bath Street, Waterloo Road and Clarence Dock for their evening sleep.
Sunday 7 October
All Giants
10.15am – 12pm (approx)
Leave via King Edward Street, George’s Dock Gates and onto The Strand. At this point one Giant will depart via The Docks. The remaining giants will continue along The Strand and onto Sefton Street where they will stop for a siesta.
Giants Final Parade
2.30pm – 4.00pm (approx)
Leave Sefton Street onto The Strand, Giants parade and bid farewell at Canning Dock.
Please note – all the times are approximations and there may be some slight changes on the day.
Due to the scale of the event, residents and visitors are advised that there will be some disruption as a result of road closures across the three days.
An interactive version of the map is online, as well as a downloadable copy via www.giantspectacular.com Printed versions of the maps will be available at selected locations throughout the city region - a full list of these locations will be available via www.giantspectacular.com
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “The excitement is certainly building as we unveil more details about what people can expect from this year’s Giant Spectacular.
“The route has been more than two years in the planning and is a delicate balancing act as the team behind the event are always keen for the Giants to explore as many new places as possible, but at the same time logistics come into play and the roads need to be wide enough to accommodate some very large visitors and the hundreds of thousands who flock to see them!
“Revealing the full routes means people can begin to plan where and when they want to be across the three days, and it also showcases just how much of Liverpool and Wirral will be transformed into a stage thanks to the incredible work of Royal de Luxe.
“It’s important to emphasise that all the timings given are a guide and not set in stone – after all, it’s a live show and when the Giants are awake, anything can happen!”
Cllr Phil Davies, Leader of Wirral Council, said: “We can’t wait to welcome our Giant visitor to Wirral. The seaside setting will be a first for Royal de Luxe and we’re really looking forward to seeing a Giant exploring New Brighton and landmarks such as the lighthouse. Our expansive coastline and promenade, with the iconic Liverpool waterfront in the background, will be a unique and memorable location for this incredible show.
It’s creating a lot of excitement on this side of the Mersey and we couldn’t be prouder to be part of what promises to be an amazing conclusion to the Giant Spectaculars trilogy.”
The event is one of the major highlights of the Liverpool 2018 programme – a year-long celebration which marks a decade since the city held the game-changing title of European Capital of Culture. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is supporting the Liverpool 2018 events programme with £5 million from its Single Investment Fund (SIF).
Liverpool’s Dream has been made possible thanks to support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Arts Council England.
Keep up with the latest news by following Giant Spectacular on Facebook and Instagram, or follow @giantspectacle on Twitter or visit www.giantspectacular.com where you can also download a full copy of the route map. Follow the story with #LiverpoolGiants.
