Plans are being explored around staging an opening ceremony which would see the river become the focal point for welcoming competing nations from across the globe

A cultural armada of 71 boats could sail down the River Mersey if Liverpool is successful in its bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Plans are being explored around staging an opening ceremony which would see the river become the focal point for welcoming competing nations from across the globe.

Each vessel would represent a Commonwealth country, flying the flag of that nation as is sails into the city.

Liverpool’s director of culture, Claire McColgan, said: “The Cultural Armada would be the first thing a global audience would see of Liverpool 2022.

“And what an image it would be – a river filled with ships, each with the flag of a different nation sailing into one of the world’s most iconic waterfronts at sunset.

“The cultural programme is at the heart of our bid – it will tell the story of Liverpool and the Commonwealth, what binds it together and what makes each nation so unique, and will in turn create a programme of extraordinary moments in unexpected places.”

The opening ceremony itself would take place at Anfield Stadium, giving more than 50,000 people the chance to be part of a key moment in Liverpool, and the Commonwealth’s, history. 

The ceremony would be a spectacle of light, pyrotechnics and sound – mixing small intimate moments with experiences on an epic scale.

It is also proposed that each competing nation would have its own ‘Cultural Embassy’ in the city – a building which would be taken over for the duration of the event as hubs dedicated to showcasing art, culture, music and food from each nation.