THE Museum of Liverpool will receive a further £3.4m of European funding before it opens at the end of next year.

The £72m museum on Pier Head, the first newly-built national museum in the country for over a century, is set to receive the funding from the North West European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which has already contributed £5m to the project.

The investment will support fitting out the museum’s four galleries, as well as the interpretation and exhibits that will fill the space.

The museum’s exhibition space will focus on four main themes: Port City, Creative City, People’s City and Global City.

David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “The museum already looks spectacular from the outside.

Now we are planning to make the inside breathtaking, too.

“We are delighted to receive this funding which will go towards the internal fit-out.

“In each of the four massive galleries, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in every aspect of Liverpool life.”

The North West is set to receive £521m from the ERDF by 2015.