Danny Beard might be best known as the winner of season four of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK’, but they’d also be a pretty decent Liverpool tour guide. ‘I think people are shocked how nice the city is, and just the general vibe,’ says Beard, who was brought up in the Halewood area. ‘We’re quite friendly, we love a party, you just know to keep your handbag close to your chest.’ The city is also the host for the 2023 Eurovision song contest – and it’s going all out. ‘It’s bringing people from all over Europe, so I’m hoping after this we’ll get return visitors,’ Beard says.
Eat
‘Piccolino is an Italian which feels very authentic and family-run, and I love that they change up the menu every so often. My favourite dishes are anything that’s carby and high in fat.’
Drink
‘Masquerade is one of the city’s oldest gay bars. It’s not the swankiest place – to be honest, it’s a shit hole – but in a lovely way. It finishes about 2am and I always go to GBar after. You can go out there and roll straight into work the next morning.’
Do
‘I’d say pop down to The Docks and have a little drink because it feels fancy. There’s so much to do there: the Beatles museum, Tate, Liverpool World Museum. You can go on a ferry across the Mersey.’
See
‘Just give yourself a good walk around the city – you’ll be surprised. They’ve filmed so many films here like Fast and Furious, and they often use it as New York, because the buildings are so stunning.’
For more information on where to drink, eat, visit and celebrate during Eurovision week, check out this guide.
Read more: What hosting Eurovision means to Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community.