Liverpool city centre is much busier this year compared to 2023, figures show
1,737,036 people visited Liverpool city centre in the first week of the festive season. With Christmas attractions open across the city – including the Christmas market, The Elf on the Shelf, winter wonderland at Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE’s festive celebrations – the city has recorded higher visitor numbers so far compared with 2023.
On Saturday, November 30, the city centre was rammed with Christmas shoppers as they braved the rain to get gifts for their loved ones. Sunday, December 1 saw 223,422 visit the city centre – an increase of 20.3% compared to last year.
This included thousands visiting the city for the Santa Dash – the annual festive race of Santas in the city. This year was the biggest Santa Dash Liverpool has seen for a decade, with the spectacle attracting a staggering 8,556 Santas.
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Last Sunday also marked the start of The Elf on the Shelf at St John’s Beacon and a performance by Batala Mersey at Williamson Square. The busiest day so far has been Friday, December 6, with a 249,288 footfall – up 3.2% on the same day last year.
Even with Storm Darragh sweeping across the region on Saturday, December 7, the first week of December was up 1.4% from figures last year, with a footfall of 188,740. Without December 7, the footfall is up 8.7%
The data comes from Liverpool BID Company, who organise The Elf on the Shelf and fund 80% of Christmas lights in the city centre. Bill Addy is CEO of Liverpool BID Company said: “In a modern city and visitor economy you have to give people both a reason and an excuse to celebrate the festive season. What we’re seeing in Liverpool is a recognition that people come to cities for very different things; the attraction for a family of four is not necessarily the same for a young couple.
“What Liverpool’s mixed use economy is very good at doing is appealing to different markets and segments and we are seeing this being reflected in footfall numbers. Spectacle and events draw people in, and that is then converted into the spend that benefits our city centre economy. The whole city centre offer is very strong in Liverpool this Christmas and we expect to see it right up to the New Year.”
