Can The Beatles' tower revive Liverpool’s 'struggling' music scene?

Liverpool’s long-closed Radio City Tower and St Johns Market are to be transformed into an “official” and “immersive” Beatles experience. The plans, backed by The Beatles’ Apple Corps — that is, the firm set up by the band in the ‘60s to manage their business interests — will see the Beatles Story move from the Albert Dock to the market, a space four times the size of the original venue. The museum will be revamped using 'immersive technology' and sets from Sam Mendes' forthcoming movies to recreate the Beatles’ rise to stardom. St Johns Beacon will also form part of the new site — being turned into a “Yellow Submarine-themed viewing experience” that acts as an extension of the museum. Both of these attractions will open in 2028.

Which begs the question: is this good news? I recognise my own bias as a Beatles fan: for me, it definitely is. But I wondered if, for others, the transformation of one of the city’s most visible buildings into a Fab Four shrine might risk turning the city into a sort of Beatles Disneyland, forever paying tribute and looking backwards. There was only one way to find out: calling around to canvas opinion.