WIRRAL chartoppers The Coral returned home to play a special gig in Birkenhead as the region's Eurovision celebrations begun.

The show on Bank Holiday Monday at Future Yard was part of the United By Music Tour of Liverpool for 2023, brought by The National Lottery and Music Venue Trust. The tour is bringing a number of live shows in venues across Merseyside as a warm up to Liverpool hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.

The band, who formed in Hoylake in 1996, played hits from across their career including Dreaming Of You, Goodbye and Pass It On, with frontman James Skelly claiming it was the first time they had played Birkenhead since a 'Battle of the Bands' contest over 20 years ago that saw them lose to a Bon Jovi tribute act.