Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr backed a project to transform The Beatles Story in Liverpool into a larger-scale attraction, set to open in 2028. The announcement from Apple Corps calls for moving the museum to a new site and creating a standalone Yellow Submarine experience at St John’s Beacon tower.
The museum will leave Albert Dock, where it has been based since 1990, and move into the former St John’s Market, near Liverpool Lime Street railway station. The new space will cover 100 thousand square feet—about 9,290 square meters—roughly four times the current area. The market has been closed since 2024.
The change will also involve new management: Apple Corps, the company that manages the Beatles’ creative and commercial interests, will take over the museum’s operations in 2027, ahead of the move. The project is being developed with Liverpool City Council and the regional authority, with support from the UK government.
From The Cavern to Abbey Road
The proposal will combine immersive technology, original artifacts, and recreations of places that were pivotal in the group’s career. The tour will begin with postwar Liverpool and the band’s formative years in Hamburg, then move on to Beatlemania, with spaces inspired by The Cavern, Abbey Road Studios, and New York’s Shea Stadium.
It will also include props and sets from the four biographical films directed by Sam Mendes, which are scheduled for release in 2028. In this way, some of the materials created to recreate the band’s story for the screen will have a second use in the museum.
The Yellow Submarine experience will operate separately at St John’s Beacon. The plan includes an observation deck offering 360-degree panoramic views of Liverpool and places associated with the Beatles. Combined tickets are planned for visitors who want to see both attractions.
McCartney highlighted the inseparable bond between the band and Liverpool; Starr welcomed both the expansion and its cultural-support component. Some of the proceeds from every ticket to The Beatles Story will go to the Apple Corps Liverpool Trust, an initiative to support emerging artists in the city.
Image: The Beatles arriving at JFK Airport on February 7, 1964. Archive photo.
