This article analyses the political, economic and social contexts of Liverpool's successful bid to become European Capital of Culture, 2008. It highlights the juxtaposition in the Liverpool 2008 process of discourses of urban entrepreneurialism and a strong emphasis on community involvement. While the bid is part of a wider shift in governance in the city that has helped reverse local economic decline, it is argued that the increasingly ‘boosterist’ character of cultural policy in the city raises a number of concerns. In particular, the article highlights the tensions arising from the re-branding of Liverpool as ‘The World in One City’ and the threat that the emphasis on culture as economic development poses to ‘alternative’ culture in the city.
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