Eurovision fans charged £1,000 a night to stay in Liverpool
The price of accommodation in Liverpool has rocketed by 640% for the weekend that the city hosts Eurovision, Which? Travel has found.
The average price of a one-bedroom holiday let booked through Airbnb or rival platform Vrbo is £875 per night on Saturday 13 May - the day of the final. You can expect to pay £1,000 for a two-bedroom property - with service and cleaning fees on top - according to data from analyst AirDNA.
Overall, prices are more than six times higher than the same weekend in May last year. But Eurovision ticket-holders needn’t despair. You can avoid these rip-off rates by staying in these nearby towns instead.
Our readers rated the UK’s best city breaks
Chester
£151 per night on average
Chester is 40 minutes by train from Liverpool and scored highly in our annual survey of the UK’s best city break destinations, clinching four out of five stars for accommodation, cultural sights and value for money.
Spend the morning walking the city’s Roman walls, or shopping in its medieval half-timbered arcades, known as the Rows. Stop by Chester’s new food hall for lunch, before hopping on the Merseyrail to Liverpool.
The Chester-Liverpool train stops at James Street station (£8.75 return), which is a short walk from the arena.
Southport
£162 per night on average
Combine Eurovision with a trip to the seaside by staying in Southport. Ride roller coasters and dodgems in Pleasureland, or check out the latest exhibition at The Atkinson - a grand arts centre only a stone’s throw from the train station. You won’t find fish and chips at revamped Southport Market - order fresh pasta followed by vegan ice cream instead.
Southport is 45 minutes from Liverpool Central station (£8 return), a 15-minute walk from the arena.
West Kirby
£317 per night on average
Holiday lets on the Wirral are inflated during the week of Eurovision, but are still half the price of accommodation across the Mersey.
Eurovision ticket-holders who stay in West Kirby - the peninsula’s north-west corner - can take a dip in the sea, or walk to Hilbre Islands at low tide - a haven for wildfowl, waders and grey seals. Before jumping on the train to Liverpool, check out West Kirby’s Tudor-style town centre and the independent shops, cafes and bars on Banks Road.
Hoylake, Meols, Leasowe, Wallasey and New Brighton also have expansive sandy beaches and are a short train ride from James Street station (£6.15 return and 30 minutes from West Kirby).
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Our research
Short-term rental analyst AirDNA provided the average prices of all available one-bedroom Airbnbs and Vrbos on Saturday 13 May for Liverpool, Chester, Southport and the Wirral. The average rates don’t include clearing or service fees. Trains from Liverpool to Chester, Southport and West Kirby run until at least 11.30pm on Saturdays.
