Liverpool's culture venues open late for the Long Night

Sep 23 2009 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

THE city’s cultural attractions big and small will be open into the night tomorrow for a unique chance to see things in a very different way. The Long Night will see the city’s museums and galleries open to the public and celebrating into the evening.

Around 30 venues, including Tate Liverpool, the Bluecoat, FACT, the Walker Art Gallery, E. Chambre Hardman’s Photographic Studio, and View Two, will be open until late, with Greenland Street’s A Foundation really in for the long haul, with a 24-hour opening.

The Philharmonic Hall will be hosting a beer festival, and the Empire Theatre will be letting the public behind the scenes.

And Liverpool Cathedral will be using the occasion to launch its new late-night viewings from the top of its tower, which will give stunning views of the city below.

Eryl Parry, director of enterprise for the cathedral, said: “Since 2008, the number of visitors going up the tower has just kept on growing.

“Now we are able to develop this attraction for the city even further by opening up the possibility of evening viewings.

“Liverpool looks spectacular at night – we’re sure that it’s going to be very popular with local people and overseas visitors alike.”

The Long Night follows on from last year’s inaugural Long Night of the Biennial and is inspired by a long-standing European tradition.

It is being staged in conjunction with the Abandon Normal Devices digital art festival, for which the Liverpool strand is being hosted by FACT.

FACT director Mike Stubbs said: “After the massive success of last year's Long Night, it's fantastic to see an even longer list of Liverpool's venues and galleries working together to create an exciting evening of after dark activity across the city.”