A PARADE of giant marionettes will visit Wirral in a street theatre spectacular returning to Merseyside for a farewell show later this year.

Royal de Luxe, the world's leading street theatre company, is bringing its free, unmissable show to Liverpool from Thursday October 4 to Sunday, October 7.

Preparations are underway as the city gears up to welcome the Giant visitors for what will be their third and final Liverpool experience.

Full details are under lock and key. All that has been confirmed is that the action will take place in areas of Wirral and Liverpool and the theme is Liverpool's Dream.

Details of which Giants are appearing and the route they will follow are to be revealed around September.

The message from Royal de Luxe's founder and artistic director, Jean Luc Courcoult, is simple: "Liverpool and Wirral - get ready to walk in the footsteps of Giants."

He continued: "We love Liverpool and can't wait to return.

"The welcome we receive from the people of the city warms our hearts and we are excited about not only bringing a brand new story to Liverpool, but also to exploring beautiful Wirral for the first time.

"As it will be our last Giant show here we think it will be very special, and we hope people will enjoy our final farewell to the city which is our second home."

The event is one of the major highlights of the Liverpool 2018 programme – a year-long celebration marking a decade since the city held the game-changing title of European Capital of Culture.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is supporting several highlight Liverpool 2018 events with £5million from the Single Investment Fund (SIF).

Wirral Council leader Phil Davies said: "We are thrilled to be welcoming the Giants across the Mersey for the first time.

"Wirral is thriving – we have huge regeneration schemes coming to fruition, thousands of jobs being created through our Wirral Growth Company, and a programme of incredibly exciting events taking place throughout the year as part of Imagine Wirral.

"Working with our colleagues in the Liverpool City Region to bring huge events like the Giants to our shores is exactly the kind of thing we should be doing.

"These events attract thousands of visitors to our region, boosting local businesses and helping local people and families create memories which will stay with them forever."

Royal de Luxe first came to Liverpool in 2012 with Sea Odyssey - a story inspired by the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic.

The adventures of the Little Girl Giant, her playful canine companion Xolo and the Diver attracted crowds of around 800,000 and brought in £32million to the local economy.

The Little Girl and Xolo returned in July 2014 for Memories of August 1914.

They were joined by a Grandmother whose stories brought to life the impact of preparations of the First World War had on the city.

Regarded as the city's biggest ever event, it attracted one million people and brought a £46m boost to the local economy.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "As a Combined Authority we recognise the key role that culture has played and continues to play in transforming the city region’s fortunes.

"It has changed how others see us and how we see ourselves and boosted both our international appeal and our economy.

"I saw this first-hand, as I had the privilege to be Liverpool's Lord Mayor during our year as European Capital of Culture and I am delighted that we have continued to build on the energy generated by that year’s events.

"I am very proud that the Combined Authority has been able to support this spectacular event and the whole of the Liverpool 2018 programme.

"I am as excited as everyone else by the return of the Giants and I cannot wait to see how this unique trilogy will play out this Autumn."

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: "For many, this event will be one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.

"Since the Giants left us nearly four years ago, we have been approached hundreds of times by people asking when they are going to return.

"We always wanted the Giant spectaculars to be a trilogy, but the final instalment had to be at the right time, with the right story – and what better than for it to take place in a year in which we celebrate how culture has transformed the city.

"The event details are shrouded in mystery, and all we can reveal at the moment is the theme around their visit is Liverpool's Dream – which is fitting as at the turn of the millennium this city could only dream of the cultural transformation it was about to embark upon.

"To be able to share the Giants with Wirral will give this chapter an added, exciting dimension and a whole new backdrop for these huge, larger than life characters to perform in.

"I'd like to thank the Combined Authority and Arts Council England for helping make their return possible.

"The power of staging these large-scale activities should never be underestimated.

"They bring in visitors from across the world and generate millions of pounds into the local economy.

"But the impact on people is priceless.

"A city which is ambitious and pushes creative boundaries engenders pride and makes it somewhere people want to live, work and play in which is invaluable.”

For updates on the Giants follow @giantspectacle on Twitter or visit www.giantspectacular.com.

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