This year is a very special one for The Beatles home city of Liverpool, as they celebrate 50 years in the music business. It was on 18th August 1962 that The Beatles headlined in the local Horticultural Society’s 17th Annual Dance. The foursome went on to storm the top of the charts with their first release, Love Me Do, in 1962. From that point onwards, Beatlemania took over the nation, with the group releasing 12 studio albums and selling over a billion records worldwide. Here’s how you can celebrate 50 years of the legends that are The Beatles with Door2Tour coach trips to Liverpool…
What to do/see:
Liverpool is hosting a range of events to celebrate this memorable year. These include the International Beatles Week Festival, the Riverboat Shuffle Music Festivaland several events to celebrate each of the band member’s birthdays. Some events feature performances from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. There’s also a wide array of Beatles tours you can embark on in Liverpool such as the award winning “Beatles Story” tour, the “Beatles Magical Mystery” tour and many other bespoke tours. Walk in the steps of the band members by visiting all the local attractions. The Cavern Club on Matthew Street is open 7 days a week and is still a thriving live music venue; so why not pop in, have a pint and enjoy the unique atmosphere. Alternatively, the Cavern Pub by the World Capital Pop Wall of Fame shows all 54 of the city’s number one hit records. You can also have a snoop around Lennon and McCartney’s childhood homes, Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road, which are now managed by the National Trust. This gives you the opportunity to see where The Beatles met, composed and rehearsed many of their earliest songs.
Where to stay:
A new attraction has also recently been announced as open for business. The Yellow Submarine Hotel, inspired by one of The Beatles much loved songs, is moored in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, and is the ultimate Beatles experience. The “submarine” used to be a canal boat, but is now a very well-equipped floating hotel decorated to appear just like the submarine seen on the record’s front cover. It has three bedrooms and a psychedelic lounge containing a scooter from the movie Quadrophenia! The rooms are decked out with a 3D TV and wifi and many other added bonuses. However these luxuries don’t come without a slightly hefty price tag of anything from £149 to £350 per night. The creator of this Beatles-themed masterpiece is Alfie Bubbles. He already has a Batman-inspired floating hotel in Liverpool which was a great success, attracting plenty of international guests. Alfie also has future plans to open further floating hotels including the Black Pearl, based on Pirates of the Caribbean and potentially even a Titanic! We would question whether this is tempting fate a little!
Take a bit of The Beatles home:
If you’re embarking on a Beatles adventure via UK coach tours, you can’t go home without a little keepsake. The Hard Days Night Hotel Beatles Shop at the top of Mathew Street or the Fab 4 Stores at Beatles Story Albert Dock and Pier Head have an amazing range of gifts from clothing and accessories to music and books – something for everyone to remember their trip!
Don’t forget that if you can’t make it to Liverpool to join in the celebrations, you could always hop on a London city break and perhaps take adavantage of a photo opportunity outside Abbey Road Studios that were made famous by the Foursome as well as many others.
Are you a fan of The Beatles? Have you been on coach trips to Liverpool for the Magical Beatles Tour? What did you think and would you recommend it?