The Beatles Story is moving: a new 2028 attraction

Liverpool's Beatles map is about to shift, and the scale of it is hard to overstate. On 20 October, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr backed plans for a new Beatles attraction that will move The Beatles Story from the Royal Albert Dock, where it has sat since 1990, to the former St Johns Market Hall, now part of St Johns Shopping Centre and a stone's throw from Lime Street station. The move is set for 2028, timed to line up with the release of the next Beatles film, and Apple Corps will take over running the attraction at its current home in 2027 before the big shift the following year.

The new site is the headline figure here: 100,000 square feet, which is more than four times the size of the current attraction. That space is being filled with immersive technology, original artefacts and reconstructed stage sets that trace the band's journey from post-war Liverpool through Hamburg, The Cavern, Beatlemania, Abbey Road, Shea Stadium and Savile Row. Some of the immersive locations will be built using sets and props from Sam Mendes' "The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event", which is due in cinemas worldwide in April 2028, and the new The Beatles Story is scheduled to open shortly after that premiere.

There is a second, separate part to the plan. The Radio City Tower, the 138-metre communications tower known as St Johns Beacon and the second tallest building in Liverpool, will host a Yellow Submarine observation platform. It is billed as a complementary, independent attraction, with a 360-degree panoramic view themed on the film, so you can do it on its own or pair it with the museum. The project is a partnership between Apple Corps, Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with UK government support, and Tom Greene, executive director of Apple Corps, has said Liverpool deserves a Beatles destination "as good as Graceland or Dollywood".

There is a charitable angle built in, too: ticket revenue from The Beatles Story will go to The Apple Corps Liverpool Trust, a charity set up to support emerging local artists. The project has backing from Mayor Steve Rotheram, First Minister Andy Burnham and Tom Greene, and the band members themselves have weighed in, with McCartney saying he "can't wait for people to be able to step into our history" and Starr reminding everyone that "Liverpool was, and is, Music City".

For now, though, nothing changes on the ground. The Beatles Story stays open as usual through 2026 and 2027, with its free multi-media audio guides available in twelve languages, narrated by John Lennon's sister, Julia, and featuring video interviews with Paul and Ringo. The current site keeps its Fab4 Store, its 1960s-style Fab4 Cafe and The Discovery Zone, and it continues to run special events, workshops and book signings throughout the year. If you are planning a visit before the move, it is worth checking opening times for your date and booking the 'Ticket to Ride' online in advance, with a Summer Saver discount available. Accessibility is covered with sensory bags for visitors with sensory needs, and group bookings of ten or more adults get free entrance for the coach driver. And if you are chasing the band elsewhere, a separate official Beatles attraction is planned for 3 Savile Row in London, where they played their last public concert on the rooftop in 1969, due to open in late 2027 across seven floors of memorabilia.