London: Liverpool, the birthplace of The Beatles, is set to welcome a major new visitor attraction dedicated to the legendary band, with its backers hoping it will become a tourist destination comparable to Elvis Presley's Graceland and Dolly Parton's Dollywood.
Apple Corps Ltd., the company overseeing The Beatles' business interests, announced on Tuesday that an expanded version of The Beatles Story museum would open in central Liverpool in 2028. The launch is expected to follow the release of director Sam Mendes' four feature films about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, which could generate renewed global interest in the band that transformed rock 'n' roll.
Under the plan, Apple Corps will take over The Beatles Story and relocate it from Liverpool's docklands to the former St John's Market. The new venue will occupy a 100,000-square-foot site opposite the city's main Lime Street railway station.
Apple Corps said the attraction would combine “immersive technology, original artifacts and spectacular reconstructed sets” to take visitors through the band's journey, from the members' childhoods in postwar Liverpool and their early years performing in bars in Hamburg, Germany, to the rise of Beatlemania and international fame.
Sets and props from Mendes' films will be used to recreate significant locations in the band's history, including Liverpool's Cavern Club, where The Beatles began their rise, London's famous Abbey Road studios and Shea Stadium, the venue for their celebrated 1965 performance.
The nearby St Johns Beacon, a former radio tower standing 400 feet (122 metres) tall, will also be converted into a visitor attraction inspired by the band's song and animated film Yellow Submarine. The site will offer views across Liverpool.
“Just like Graceland or Dollywood, it's fitting that The Beatles will have a world class destination for fans to visit in the center of the city where the story started,” Apple Corps chief executive Tom Greene said.
A portion of ticket revenue from the attraction will go towards a charity established to nurture emerging artists in Liverpool, Apple Corps said.
The band's two surviving members have welcomed the plans. McCartney said the group's success “couldn't have happened without Liverpool and I can't wait for people to be able to step into our story and share the experience.”
Starr added: “Liverpool was, and still is, music city.”
The announcement comes amid renewed interest in The Beatles, more than five decades after the band split in 1970. Apple Corps has also announced plans for a new fan experience at the group's former London headquarters at 3 Savile Row, scheduled to open in late 2027. The building's rooftop was the setting for The Beatles' final public performance in 1969.
Mendes is directing four biographical films featuring Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Paul Mescal as McCartney and Barry Keoghan as Starr. All four films are scheduled for release in April 2028.
The Beatles' legacy has helped transform Liverpool into a cultural and nightlife destination, contributing to the city's economic revival after decades of decline following the closure of its docks.
Mike Jones, a Beatles expert at the University of Liverpool, said the combination of the films and new attractions would bring more fans to the city.
“I'm not sure that the city's quite prepared for it,” he said, describing the development as both a risk and an opportunity. “What we have to resist is the Disneyfication of Liverpool, the Disneyfication of the Beatles."
Jones said there was still much more to explore about the band's history and its legacy.
“There's a rich story to be told about the relationship between Liverpool and the Beatles, a very rich story," he said. "And I'm not sure that story's been told."