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.