A new statue of Reggae legend Bob Marley has been unveiled in Liverpool.

The seven-foot tall sculpture is located on Jamaica Street in the Baltic Triangle of the city and was commissioned by the Positive Vibration Festival of Reggae.

We hope the statue of Bob, not only celebrates his ongoing legacy, but provides joy, happiness and inspiration to the people who come across and engage with it

The live music festival was inspired by Marley’s message of love, hope and unity during the pandemic and wanted to pay homage to the Jamaican cultural icon.

The striking figure was unveiled on 9 September, as part of the annual Positive Vibration Festival of Reggae, which took place over the weekend.

A spokesman from the festival said in a statement: “Bob Marley is a cultural icon who is recognised and adored all around the world. More importantly, he is a symbol of peace, love and unity – all of which are needed more than ever right now.

“We hope the statue of Bob, not only celebrates his ongoing legacy, but provides joy, happiness and inspiration to the people who come across and engage with it.”

The model was created by sculptor Andy Edwards, a renowned artist, who is celebrated for his iconic statue of The Beatles on Liverpool’s Waterfront.

In a statement, Mr Edwards said: “Peace is not having a lie down, it’s a fight. It’s not something static like a word on a T-Shirt, it’s an action, an ongoing struggle. Every kind of peace throughout the world is under threat right now and we need our champions. We need Bob Marley and the power he summons at the centre of the ring again. We’re about to touch gloves with the toughest challenges humanity has ever faced and there’s only one way to meet that, with love and in unity.”

Liverpool poet Levi Tafari was asked to open the ceremony to reveal the statue to the public.

He told the ECHO: “It is an honour and pleasure to be a part of an event that celebrates the greatness of Bob Marley. Something I never thought I would have the pleasure of doing.

“Bob Marley had such a huge impact on my life. When I saw him in 1976, in Belle Vue Manchester, it was a life changing experience because it gave me focus and direction, pride, spiritual and cultural empowerment in who I am”.

The first Bob Marley statue was commissioned by the Jamaican Government in 1981 and was unveiled in Celebrity Park, Kingston.

Since then many other Marley statues have been erected in Jamaica and around the world.

In 2015, a statue of Marley was installed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to commemorate what would have been his 70^th birthday.

The Positive Vibration Festival of Reggae is an award-winning live music event, which began in 2016.

Over the weekend, it featured musical performances from Tippa Irie, Dawn Penn, Benjamin Zephaniah, General Levy, Congo Natty and many others.

The music festival aims to celebrate the power of Reggae music and is another nod to the king of Reggae’s everlasting legacy.