The Beatles Story is moving: what we know so far

Liverpool's Beatles trail is about to get a big shake-up. The Beatles Story, which has sat at the Royal Albert Dock since 1990, is moving in 2028 as part of a new Apple Corps project. Apple Corps Ltd, the company set up in 1968 to look after the band's creative and commercial interests, takes over management in 2027 before the attraction physically relocates the following year.

The new home is the former St Johns Market Hall in the St Johns Shopping Centre, directly opposite Lime Street station. At 100,000 square feet, it's more than four times the size of the current site. The most eye-catching part of the plan is the St Johns Beacon, the 138-metre Radio City Tower and second-tallest building in Liverpool, which will host a 360-degree panoramic Yellow Submarine experience. The building itself was designed by James A Roberts and went up in 1969.

Inside, the new version leans hard into immersive technology, original artefacts and reconstructed sets to trace the band's story from post-war Liverpool through Hamburg, The Cavern, Beatlemania, Abbey Road, Shea Stadium and Savile Row. Some of the sets and objects are borrowed from 'The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event', the Sam Mendes series due in cinemas worldwide in April 2028, which casts Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

There's a London sister project running alongside it: an official Beatles fan attraction at 3 Savile Row, where the band played their last public concert on the rooftop in 1969, set to open at the end of 2027 with seven floors of memorabilia and archive material. Back in Liverpool, every ticket sold for The Beatles Story will go to The Apple Corps Liverpool Trust, a charity set up to give financial support and opportunities to emerging Liverpool artists and local cultural projects.

The project is a partnership between Apple Corps, Liverpool City Council, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the UK government, with backing from the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, and First Minister Andy Burnham. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have both publicly backed the plans. For context on the scale, the attraction took more than 315,000 visitors through its doors in 2019. The current site keeps things accessible in the meantime, with audio guides in twelve languages including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Cantonese, a free guide narrated by John Lennon's sister, Julia, and video interviews with Paul and Ringo.

If you're planning a visit before the move, the Albert Dock site stays open as usual through 2026 and 2027, with the Fab4 Store, the 60s-style Fab4 Cafe with its Cavern Club arches, the Pier Head Cafe and The Discovery Zone for children. It's worth checking opening times and booking a 'Ticket to Ride' online in advance, and there are Summer Saver discounts and a regular programme of special events, workshops and book signings. Accessibility is built in, with sensory bags for visitors with sensory needs and free entrance for coach drivers on group bookings of at least ten adults. For now, the Albert Dock version carries on, and you can register at thebeatles.com/liverpool for updates as the 2028 move gets closer.