‘Scouse/Ukrainian mashup’ festival celebrates spirit of Eurovision

Commissions for pre-party to end all pre-parties' include monument covered in sandbags, mass kite-fly and queer fantasia'

A 200-year-old bronze statue commemorating Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar is to be surrounded by thousands of sandbags to echo the plight of monuments in Ukraine.

The plan for Liverpool's Nelson's Monument is one of 24 cultural commissions announced on Tuesday as part of a festival that aims to transform the city in the run-up to its staging of the Eurovision song contest.