THE most famous ship in the world will be bringing visitors to Europe's largest free city centre music festival.
The Mathew Street Festival, on Bank Holiday Monday, will be officially launched to the sound of the QE2's hooter as it sails up the Mersey.
The arrival of the luxury liner is yet another attraction to add to the list and organisers are predicting a record turn out of more than 250,000 visitors.
It will be the largest festival so far with 150 bands from more than 30 countries, as far as Brazil and Japan, performing live on four outdoor stages and at more than 40 indoor venues.
This year's event will also celebrate the sounds of Memphis, which twinned with Liverpool in 2004 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley's first record That's All Right.
The US city held its own Battle of the Bands competition to choose which musicians could take part in the Liverpool festival.
Dave Jones, festival producer, said: "The world-changing music which filtered out of Memphis was a pivotal influence on The Beatles.
"The Mathew Street Festival is the perfect place to celebrate the music of Elvis and the Fab Four.
"Music from Memphis and the Mersey influenced the world and this year the world will be celebrating with us."
Now in its 12th year, the festival showcases bands from around the world performing every style of music from Jazz to Bluegrass and the 1950s to the modern day.
