“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it the present” ― Master Oogway

Readers of my usual alcohol themed posts might want to look away now, for this review doesn’t feature a single cocktail. Instead it features Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar..… panic not, normal service will resume shortly!

The DreamWorks Lights Lantern Experience has arrived in the UK for the very first time. In fact, right on my doorstep, in the iconic St. George’s Hall in Liverpool. St George's is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world. Built in the early 1800s as a space for music festivals and the Civil and Crown courts, the hall has always been at the heart of community life in the city.

Richard Hollis from DreamWorks explains, "We chose Liverpool because it is an iconic city, a true cultural capital known all over the world for its great events and the stunning location of St George’s Hall is the perfect setting for DreamWorks Lights.”

Using my 7 year old niece as a guise, I went along on Sunday to meet Shrek, Alex, Po and friends.

There were over 100 figures on display from the three major DreamWorks films. As we arrived, we were greeted by a huge Shrek peeping out from the top of St. George’s. 

Upon entering the hall, we met a 12m by 12m dragon perched on top of a volcano. The illuminations then took us on a journey through each of DreamWorks best known films while working our way around the vast rooms of the hall. 

Tickets are staged so that there are never too many people walking around at once, meaning you can really enjoy each of the lanterns and can photograph them to your hearts content. 

It didn’t take us too long to work our way around, probably 15 minutes, however, we didn’t stop to watch the two films on display at either end of the hall so it would be possible to stay much longer.

There is also a green screen photo experience and DreamWorks shop to enjoy.

The Christmas markets outside St. George’s proved too tempting and we left the illuminations to get a hot chocolate and some roasted chestnuts. 

It was such a lovely atmosphere walking around both the lantern experience and the Christmas markets. If you’re looking for gift ideas for little ones, this is definitely worth the trip. 

The experience is open daily between 10:00am and 7:00pm (last entry between 5:30pm and 6:00pm) from Saturday 26th November until Sunday 15th January 2017. 

I’d recommend booking tickets in advance via: https://sales.webticketmanager.com//default.aspx?companyid=1701