Apple Corps to Open Major New Beatles Attraction in Liverpool in 2028

Image: Collected

Apple Corps, the company that manages the Beatles’ business interests, has announced plans to open a major new Beatles attraction in Liverpool in 2028.

The company will take over The Beatles Story museum and relocate it from its current home at Albert Dock to the former St John’s Market, a 100,000-square-foot site near Lime Street station. The new venue will be more than four times the size of the existing museum and is expected to become one of the city’s largest cultural attractions.

A Larger, Immersive Experience

The attraction will use immersive technology and original Beatles artifacts to trace the band’s journey from postwar Liverpool to Hamburg, Beatlemania and worldwide fame.

It will also feature sets and props from director Sam Mendes’ four upcoming Beatles films, which are scheduled for release in April 2028. Visitors will be able to see recreations of landmarks including the Cavern Club, Abbey Road Studios and Shea Stadium.

Apple Corps will continue to operate The Beatles Story at Albert Dock from 2027 before moving the attraction to its new location the following year.

St John’s Beacon to Reopen

Nearby St John’s Beacon, the 400-foot former radio tower, will also be transformed into a viewing attraction inspired by the Beatles’ animated film Yellow Submarine. The tower will offer panoramic views across Liverpool.

Although the Beacon will operate separately from the museum, visitors will be able to purchase combined tickets for both attractions.

Support From McCartney and Starr

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have welcomed the project.

“It couldn’t have happened without Liverpool and I can’t wait for people to be able to step into our story,” McCartney said.

Starr added: “Liverpool was, and still is, a music city. Deep down I am still a Scouser.”

The project is being developed with Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with support from the UK government. Liverpool Mayor Andy Burnham described the Beatles as “one of the greatest examples of what Britain can give to the world.”

Funding for Local Musicians

Every ticket sold for The Beatles Story will contribute to the Apple Corps Liverpool Trust, a charity created to support emerging musicians and artists in Liverpool.

Apple Corps chief executive Tom Greene said the city deserved “a world-class destination for fans to visit in the centre of the city where the story started,” comparing its potential appeal to Graceland in Memphis or Dollywood in Tennessee.

Part of a Growing Beatles Boom

The Liverpool attraction will be Apple Corps’ second permanent Beatles fan destination. The first is planned for the band’s former London headquarters at 3 Savile Row and is expected to open in late 2027.

The announcement has been welcomed by local cultural institutions, including the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres, which described the investment as “a fantastic vote of confidence in the area’s future.”

However, some experts have urged caution. Mike Jones, a Beatles specialist at the University of Liverpool, warned against turning the city’s musical heritage into a commercial spectacle.

“What we have to resist is the Disneyfication of Liverpool, the Disneyfication of the Beatles,” he said. He described the combination of the new films and attractions as both a risk and an opportunity for the city.