The UK and Ukraine will be holding a simultaneous rave for the ages for EuroFest

The first details of a two-week cultural festival, EuroFest, which will take over Liverpool in the lead-up to The Eurovision Song Contest, have been unveiled – and it sounds pretty insane, to say the least. 

A giant glitterball jellyfish and blue and yellow submarines will parade through the streets of Liverpool in what will result in, basically, a huge outdoor underwater sea rave (what better environment to spend chewing your jaw off?). The blue and yellow submarine is inspired by the colours of the Ukraine flag – along with the song and film by Liverpool’s most famous musical exports, The Beatles. A simultaneous rave is taking place in Kyiv and will be live-streamed worldwide alongside its Scouse counterpart.

The festival, running from May 1st-14th, promises to include hundreds of performers and incredible music, with four headliners soon to be revealed. Meanwhile, The English National Opera will stage an outdoor concert “bringing together two very different musical worlds,” organisers said.

And, On a more poignant note, Ukrainian artist Katya Buchatska will transform Liverpool Cathedral into a train carriage replicating the journey from Izyum to the border with Poland.

EuroFest will present 24 brand new commissions – 19 of which are collaborations between UK and Ukrainian artists – that will transform the city as fans from across the world descend on Liverpool. The chosen commissions were selected through a process which included the BBC, British Council, Ukrainian Institute and Culture Liverpool. 

As Eurovision runners-up, the UK offered to take up hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine, with the contest taking place from May 9th-13th.