Are you ready to plan your Giants journey?
There are just over three weeks until Giant visitors will walk the streets of Liverpool and Wirral (Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 October) – in what will be the final in the trilogy of Giant spectaculars. For this latest instalment, the world-famous street theatre company Royal de Luxe, from Nantes, wants to keep the event shrouded in mystery so will not be revealing which Giants are heading to our shores just yet.
However, the team behind the event can say where they will be walking. All 20.6miles of it… The main ‘walking’ action of the show takes place from the Friday to Sunday (5-7th). The action kicks off from 10am on Friday in Liverpool on St George’s Hall Plateau. On the other side of the water in New Brighton, another Giant will wake at Fort Perch Rock at 11am and will spend the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Wirral.
Royal de Luxe is considered the world’s leading street theatre company. Founded in 1979 by Jean-Luc Courcoult and based in Nantes, the company is seen as a pioneer creating original theatrical forms. His ethos was that theatre should be accessible to all ages and should be free. Royal de Luxe is now acknowledged “National Company” by the French Ministry of Culture.
Saturday will see all the Giants in Liverpool – they will all come together in the afternoon and spend the rest of their time in the city together.The show culminates on Sunday with a focus on the waterfront and a parade finale. And as this is Royal de Luxe’s final ever time in the city, expect some surprises…
The full route for the Giants is as follows:
Friday 5 October
Liverpool Giant Route
10am – 1pm (approx)
Wake up 10am on St George’s Hall Plateau, walk to Lime Street, Renshaw Street, across St Luke’s Place onto Berry Street, Upper Duke Street, Catharine Street, across Upper Parliament Street onto Princes Road, Princes Gate West, Devonshire Road and into Princes Park where a siesta will take place.
4.15pm – 7.15pm (approx)
Wake up in Princes Park, walk to Devonshire Road, Princes Gate West, Princes Road, across Upper Parliament Street, Catharine Street, Canning Street, Upper Duke Street, Duke Street, Paradise Street, Liver Street, turn onto The Strand onto Queens Wharf for an evening sleep.
Wirral Giant Route
11.15am – 1pm (approx)
Wakes up next to the lighthouse at Fort Perch Rock, walk along Marine Promenade, onto Coastal Drive towards Kings Parade to have a siesta.
3pm – 5.15pm (approx)
Wakes up at The Dips, head along Kings Parade, Marine Promenade, Tower Promenade and Magazines Promenade.
Saturday 6 October
Liverpool Giant Route #1
10am – 1pm (approx)
Wake up in Queens Wharf, onto Wapping, The Strand, Paradise Street, Hanover Street, Church Street, Whitechapel, Stanley Street across Victoria Street, Dale Street, Castle Street, Derby Square, James Street across The Strand to Mann Island where there will be a stop for a siesta.
3.30pm – 5.45pm (approx)
Wake up at Mann Island, continue onto Canada Boulevard, Water Street, The Strand before making a u-turn returning onto The Strand, George’s Dock Gates where all Giants meet and continue onto New Quay, Bath Street, Waterloo Road and Clarence Dock for their evening sleep.
Liverpool Giant Route #2
11am – 12.50pm (approx)
Wakes up at Canning Dock, onto Salthouse Quay, The Strand, James Street, Castle Street, Dale Street, Crosshall Street, across Victoria Street, Whitechapel, St John’s Lane, St George’s Place, Lime Street, Elliot Street, Great Charlotte Street, Ranelagh Street, Church Street, Lord Street onto Derby Square where there will be a siesta.
3.50pm – 5.45pm (approx)
Wakes up at Derby Square and continues onto Castle Street, Dale Street, Moorfields, Tithebarn Street, Chapel Street, George’s Dock Gates, where all Giants meet up and continue onto Bath Street, Waterloo Road and Clarence Dock for their evening sleep.
Sunday 7 October
All Giants
10.15am – 12pm (approx)
Leave via King Edward Street, George’s Dock Gates and onto The Strand. At this point one Giant will depart via The Docks. The remaining giants will continue along The Strand and onto Sefton Street where they will stop for a siesta.
Giants Final Parade
2.30pm – 4.00pm (approx)
Leave Sefton Street onto The Strand, Giants parade and bid farewell at Canning Dock.
Special thanks to www.visitliverpool.com for the photos!
Please note – all the times are approximations and there may be some slight changes on the day.
An interactive version of the map is online, as well as a downloadable copy via www.giantspectacular.com Printed versions of the maps will be available at selected locations throughout the city region – a full list of these locations will be available via www.giantspectacular.com
The event is one of the major highlights of the Liverpool 2018 programme – a year-long celebration which marks a decade since the city held the game-changing title of European Capital of Culture. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is supporting the Liverpool 2018 events programme with £5 million from its Single Investment Fund (SIF).