The cancelled Liverpool Boat Show is to be replaced with a festival celebrating the city's nautical heritage
Sea shanties, tallships and historic canalboats have been promised by Liverpool City Council for a free 10-day riverside festival, set to run during the period that would have seen the city welcoming its first boat show.
Spring on the Waterfront will take place from 29 April to 8 May, the time previously earmarked for the Liverpool Boat Show, which was cancelled in February.
Shanty festival performers will play on a floating stage in Salthouse Dock where local acts will be joined by musicians from the USA and Europe. Among the tallships visiting the river is STA Stavros S Niarchos, the first new tallship built in Britain in 12 years. Other tallships taking part are Astrid, Pelican of London and Oosterschelde. All will be open for visitors to board.
Liverpool Watersports Centre will be holding free taster sessions in dinghy sailing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing and paddleboards. The festival will also include a live screening of the Royal Wedding on a large screen at Liverpool ONE.
