[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...yside-18177620

Liverpool's Sea Odyssey street theatre - which involved giant puppets - generated nearly £32m for the local economy, says an independent report.

About 800,000 visited the three-day event in April, spending nearly three times more than initially estimated.

The report found £10.5m was spent on accommodation and £20m was spent in restaurants, bars and shops.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: "This was the biggest event in Liverpool's history."

He added: "Sea Odyssey put Liverpool on a world stage and I am determined that we will put on more of these types of events in the future to further enhance our reputation as a capital of culture."

The report, by Vector Research, concluded about 43% of people watching the show were from Liverpool, about 50% were from other parts of the UK, and more than 6% from overseas.

The figures revealed that 21 April was the city's busiest retail day of the year, with sales up 25% on 2011 in the Liverpool One shopping centre.

It really was stunning - photos :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...yside-17787778

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...yside-17797868