Liverpool has spent decades steering visitors down to the waterfront to absorb its pop history, but that geography is due for a substantial reorientation. Apple Corps has announced plans to move The Beatles Story from its long established quarters at the Albert Dock into the heart of the city centre. Due to open in 2028, the attraction will take over the former St Johns Market site inside the St Johns Shopping Centre, placing it directly across the street from Liverpool Lime Street station.
The scale of the project represents a major expansion. At 100,000 square feet, the planned facility will be more than four times the size of the present Albert Dock exhibition. The footprint extends into the city skyline as well. St Johns Beacon, a familiar fixture of central Liverpool, will be converted into a Yellow Submarine themed panoramic observation point, giving ticket holders a 360 degree view across the urban landscape.
The move arrives as part of a joint venture between Apple Corps and Universal Music Group, timed to coincide with a large cinematic project. Director Sam Mendes is currently working on The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, a suite of biographical films due in cinemas in April 2028. The production stars Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Once filming wraps, the physical sets and props used during production will be transported directly into the Liverpool exhibition, providing authentic physical components for the museum displays.
Organizers have designed the walk through the museum to take several hours. The journey follows a strict chronological arc, beginning with the austere conditions of post-war Liverpool before tracking the group through their demanding apprenticeships in the clubs of Hamburg. From there, the route follows the sudden rush of Beatlemania through to the peak years of their stadium touring. The space will blend immersive tech and archival artefacts with detailed physical recreations of key locations, including the Cavern Club, Abbey Road, and Shea Stadium.
The Liverpool opening forms part of a broader roll out for the band's public legacy. Before the St Johns site opens its doors in 2028, Apple Corps will open 3 Savile Row in London next year. That project, situated inside the band's former headquarters, will serve as the first official Beatles fan experience to operate in the capital.
Both surviving members of the band have offered their thoughts on the new home in Liverpool. McCartney remarked that it is humbling to see audiences around the world still engaged with their early years, adding that the architectural blueprints faithfully reflect their journey from local rehearsal rooms out into the wider world. Starr pointed back to his upbringing in the Dingle and his early factory job working alongside Roy Trafford and Eddie, recalling the skiffle bands of his youth before moving on to venues like the Bodega and the Cavern. Beyond preserving that history, the venture has tied its financial structure to the current scene. Revenue from every ticket sold at the venue will be directed into funding and supporting emerging Liverpool musicians, ensuring that the legacy of the city's past directly finances its next generation.
