Excitement in Liverpool ahead of Paris finalon May 28, 2022 at 6:30 am

Liverpool is “buzzing with excitement” ahead of the Champions League final, traders in the city have said.

Bars and pubs are preparing to host fans on “the busiest weekend of the year” with big screens installed to watch the match against Real Madrid.

Thousands of fans have travelled to Paris to enjoy the game but many have stayed to watch the match on home turf.

With excitement building, Liverpool has been described as “the next best thing to being in Paris”.

Camp and Furnace is one of many venues in Liverpool to be pulling out all the stops for the much-anticipated game.

“We are expecting 1,900 people… our tickets sold out in 20 minutes,” general manager Scott Hudson said.

The 25-year-old added it had been a “fantastic season” for Liverpool and he hoped to share the winning moment with supporters.

“This will be very much welcomed by the hospitality industry after what has been a difficult time [during the coronavirus pandemic],” he added.

Retail complex Liverpool ONE said it anticipated the weekend to be “the busiest of the year” for visitor numbers as fans flock to the city.

Strategy director Donna Howitt described the city as “buzzing with excitement”.

Ms Howitt said “no matter the result in Paris”, Liverpool’s successes in the League Cup, FA Cup and promotion to the Women’s Super League would “create memories that will last well beyond Sunday”.

Peter Hunter, one of the directors for Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, said the final was both a “mood and trade” boost for the city.

“It feels like it will be great for business, which is what a lot of hospitality businesses need after the rocky patch it’s been through,” Mr Hunter added.

The council said it expected similar crowds in the city to the 2019 Champions League final when Liverpool claimed the trophy for the sixth time.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, agreed there was a “real buzz” in the city “regardless of the outcome”.

She said the weekend would “bring not only a party atmosphere, but a much-needed financial boost to our local economy”.

Carol Ross, landlady of the Roscoe Head Pub in Roscoe Street, said she would be offering “some respite” for anyone out in Liverpool on Saturday.

The 62-year-old said she was a “little worried” about people getting too drunk and rowdy but she hoped the match would go well and it would “give a boost to the local economy”.

Liam Kelly, who manages social enterprise Make CIC on Regent Street, said it would be “another great weekend for Liverpool’s visitor economy to watch the game as the next best thing to being in Paris”.

The 34-year-old added Liverpool’s football brand “undoubtedly helps businesses located here proudly promote themselves here”.

Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool Business Improvement Development (BID) Company, said there had been a “lot of work” completed behind the scenes “to make sure everyone had a good time”.

He said the final “increased footfall, from hotel rooms to bar takings”, adding: “I say this as a proud Evertonian, we all know it has a positive impact on the city’s economy.”

Merseyside Police said the weekend was “set to be a busy one” and predicted “large numbers of people” travelling to the city.

The force advised fans to “keep bags fastened, phones hidden, drink responsibly and plan journeys home in advance”.

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