The People's Festival LIVERPOOL LOVES Returns This Week

After scooping a coveted tourism award in its inaugural year, Liverpool Loves returns this week - bigger and better for 2016.

The event descends on the Pier Head Liverpool for three days from Thursday to Saturday (4 to 6 August), where organsiers Orb CIC will shine the spotlight on the festival's four fab themes Business, Culture, Food and Wellbeing.

Dubbed 'The People's Festival', Liverpool Loves celebrates and showcases all that is special about Liverpool City Region.

In its first year, the event attracted more than 27,000 visitors to fly the flag for the destination - and this number is expected to increase for 2016.

Festival goers, local businesses and communities have embraced and welcomed Liverpool Loves from far and wide - and this unique concept has demonstrated the ability to generate a significant impact for the local economy.

As a result, the project was recognised by Liverpool LEP named Small Tourism Event of the Year at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards 2016.

Liverpool Loves 2016 officially launches on Thursday (4 August) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pier Head Liverpool, with Liverpool Loves Business. This will be followed by Liverpool Loves Merseybeat on Friday (5 August); culminating with the large-scale public event, Liverpool Loves Festival Day on Saturday (6 August).

LIVERPOOL LOVES BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs to business leaders, small businesses to global brand Google - Liverpool Loves Business has advice, networking and seminars to inspire, encourage and empower local SMEs.

Liverpool Loves Business takes place between 9am and 5pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. A huge focus this year is digital, with the event looking at how business is pitched, won and delivered digitally - and Google is hosting a dedicated area called Digital Garage.

Seminars include advice for how to "Go Get 'Em" with a range of talks focussing on marketing and reaching customers. There's comprehensive guidance and advice on how to build an online business; retail business; service business; food and drink business; and export business with keynote speeches from established business leaders. The day will also see 16 entrepreneurs battling it out to win prize money and support services in The Bigger Pitcher during the afternoon, in association with Spark Up.

Register for a complimentary Liverpool Loves Business delegate pass on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/liverpool-loves-business-2016-tickets-25479463762.

LIVERPOOL LOVES MERSEYBEAT

On Friday evening, Liverpool Loves Merseybeat will take music fans on a trip down memory lane to relive the sounds of the Swinging Sixties.

The indoor concert will be headlined and hosted by Liverpool singer Beryl Marsden, who shot to fame in the 1960s as a rising star at the Cavern Club at the same time as The Beatles, The Big Three and The Hollies.

Known for her powerful and soulful voice, Beryl supported The Beatles on their last UK tour in 1965. And during her career she has been signed to both Decca Records and Columbia Records.

Beryl will be joined onstage by her house band The Goldies, and special guests - Merseybeat performers Ray Ennis, Karl Terry, Brian Saxophone Jones, and Billy Kinsley.

The concert starts at 7pm in the Culturebox Marquee at the Pier Head. Tickets are £15.

LIVERPOOL LOVES FESTIVAL DAY

A 12-hour programme packed with culture, live music, family activities, healthy living and the best food and drink the city has to offer is what visitors to Liverpool Loves Festival Day can look forward to this Saturday.

Five stages at Pier Head Liverpool - part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site - will showcase performers, cultural and community organisations to keep visitors entertained throughout the day.

The Main Stage afternoon programme with The Guide Liverpool runs from 12pm to 5pm. Hosted by The Guide Liverpool's Jay Hynd, the line-up includes Mersey Wylie and her band Halem, and will be headlined by The Hummingbirds.

BBC Radio Merseyside's Dave Monks hosts the Main Stage between 5pm and 9pm, with Tea Street Band headlining the day's programme.

Breakthrough music talent will also feature, giving artistes the opportunity to perform at a major city festival on the Culturebox Stage; The Rider Stage; with Liverpool SoulFest and Liverpool Disco Festival at Bar Funk; and on the Merseyrail SoundStation Pop-Up.

A real focus of Liverpool Loves Festival Day is that the event is family friendly and free to enjoy. Don't miss Gongapalooza; Huayun Arts; China Pearl; Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival and Viva Brazil; and Katumba. As well as trying out relaxation workshops and therapies to encourage healthy lifestyles - all while enjoying food and drink from many independent traders from across the City Region.

Joshua Boyd, MD of Orb CIC and Festival Director of Liverpool Loves said: "This year we've worked really hard to capture what made the first ever festival so special - and build on its ability to generate a positive impact for businesses and communities in the Liverpool City Region.

"2016 has been another knockout year for festivals - with LIMF a major success and Liverpool Pride coming back in force across back to back weekends during recent weeks, we're honoured to cap off the summer on our world famous waterfront with a celebration of the best of life in Liverpool.

It's colourful, scouse and designed to put a smile on your face. Please spread the word about this event and show your city some love!"

You can download the full Liverpool Loves festival brochure here: issuu.com/liverpoolloves/docs/ll_2016_festival_programme_____sing.

Find out more at www.liverpoolloves.co.uk.

Liverpool Loves is a feel good festival which celebrates and promotes all the fantastic things that Liverpool has to offer. Returning to Pier Head Liverpool from 4 to 6 August 2016, the festival has fab four core themes - Business, Culture, Food and Wellbeing. Held over three days, Liverpool Loves starts on Thursday 4 August with Liverpool Loves Business, followed by Liverpool Loves Merseybeat on Friday 5 August, culminating in a Liverpool Loves Festival Day on Saturday 6 August.

Orb CIC is a value-led, full-service event management company based in Liverpool's emerging creative quarter, the Baltic Triangle. The team have been behind some of the city's largest events including Liverpool Pride, Brazilica and Farm Feast.