Brazilica moves sites this year bringing Samba Fever to Derby Square for 2016

Liverpool’s International Samba Festival is to take place in the city’s Commercial District for the first time ever!

There will be a carnival atmosphere in Derby Square this summer as Liverpool Carnival Company has announced that it will be the main location for the Brazilica Festival 2016.

The move is a result of the Liverpool BID Company becoming headline sponsors of the popular three-day festival which returns to Liverpool city centre in 2016 for the ninth consecutive year, from 15-17 July, and promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The historical square in the heart of the City’s Commercial District will be transformed into a sizzling hotbed of colourful carnival action as takes over the area on Saturday 16 July.

Under the watchful eye of Queen Victoria, Derby Square, the site of the former Liverpool Castle will be bursting with colour, music and all the of sights, sounds and tastes of Brazil to get you into the carnival atmosphere.

There will be a packed programme of events leading up to the main Carnival Day on the Saturday. Organisers have revealed that the Brazilian Film Festival will also return following its successful introduction last year and a Fringe Festival packed with exhibitions and workshops, with artists visiting from Sao Paulo. There will also be samba performances in Church Street on Saturday, 16^th and 17^th July during the afternoons.

Events will take place in venues across the city from 17 July leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics Games.

The spectacular night-time Carnival Parade which features Samba bands from across the UK and overseas will remain the main festival highlight, thousands of people line the route which makes its way from Abercromby Square through the city centre streets with this year’s parade ending Derby Square.

Full details of all the festival programme will be released very soon, so watch this space.

Festival organisers, in conjunction with the Liverpool BID Company, are encouraging local businesses to get involved in Brazilica this year and are hoping to attract lots of Liverpool independent companies to the event.

Maeve Morris, Artistic Director of Liverpool Carnival Company, said: “We’re really excited to be working with the Liverpool BID Company on Brazilica 2016. We have a fabulous line-up of events planned this year and Derby Square is such an amazing location.

“We really hope local businesses will get involved so that visitors can get a taste of what this city has to offer and it’s also great for the local economy.”

Bill Addy, Chief Executive of Liverpool BID Company, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting Brazilica for the first time in the Commercial District – it’s one of the flagship events of the Liverpool summer. And we’ll be working with the business community to help make Brazilica 2016 the best one yet.”

Liverpool Carnival Company would also like to welcome volunteers to get in on the action by getting involved in the event in any way possible – from making costumes and parade floats to delivery drivers and festival stewards and much more.

Volunteers will not only experience an insider’s perspective of one of the country’s busiest and most vibrant public festivals, but also gain invaluable work experience and make new friends to boot!

The UK’s largest Samba Carnival event, Brazilica has become one of the flagship events of the year in Liverpool’s festival calendar. A colourful celebration of Brazilian music, dance, culture, food and sport, it attracts over 60,000 visitors to the city centre.

To get involved in Brazilica Festival 2016 as a media partner, sponsor or volunteer or for more information please visit the website at https://brazilicafestival.co.uk

Follow on social media at www.facebook.com/brazilicafestival   Twitter – @BrazilicaFest