Beatles to open first London museum on site of last gig


By AGENCY
A blue plaque on Savile Row in London marks the building where The Beatles played its final concert, set to become a fan museum in 2027. Photo: AP

The Beatles' first official London museum is set to open next year in the Mayfair building where the band recorded its final album and played its last gig, Paul McCartney announced on Monday.

The attraction - "The Beatles at 3 Savile Row" - will feature seven floors of never-seen-before archive material and a recreated basement studio where the Fab Four recorded their 1970 Let It Be album.

Visitors to the venue on the upmarket central London block - better known globally for its traditional bespoke tailors - will also get access to its rooftop where the band staged an iconic performance in 1969.

"Tourists come to England and they can go to Abbey Road, but they can't go inside ... so I thought this was a terrific idea," McCartney told the BBC.

The 83-year-old pop legend said it stemmed from efforts by Apple Corps - the company which has overseen the band's business interests since 1968 - to reexamine "what the Beatles mean, and what people want these days from us".

The new London attraction - 'The Beatles at 3 Savile Row' - will feature seven floors of never-seen-before archive material. Photo: AP
The new London attraction - 'The Beatles at 3 Savile Row' - will feature seven floors of never-seen-before archive material. Photo: AP

The company previously owned the Savile Row building for eight years from 1968 and it served as the band's headquarters for two years prior to their 1970 break-up and for business purposes afterwards.

"We're thrilled to bring Apple Corps back to its spiritual home and give The Beatles fans something truly special," its CEO Tom Greene said in a statement.

"Every single day, fans are taking pictures of the outside of 3 Savile Row, he added.

"But next year they can go in and explore all seven floors of the iconic building, including the rooftop where even the railings remain the same from that famous day in 1969."

Footage of the famous January 30, 1969, concert - the last time anyone saw the Fab Four perform publicly - was recently restored and included in Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary about the band.

A view of messages on the wall of the building in London where The Beatles held its last ever concert as a band. Photo: AP
A view of messages on the wall of the building in London where The Beatles held its last ever concert as a band. Photo: AP

Speaking to the BBC, McCartney said visitors will ascend the Savile Row building and see "various things" including memorabilia before they can "pretend to be a Beatle" on the roof.

It will also feature rotating exhibitions and a fan store, according to Apple Corps.

"There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop," McCartney added in the official statement.

Ringo Starr, 85, the only other living Beatle, called the exhibition "like coming home".

Apple Corps promised further details about it, and a second experience currently in development, in "due course".

In the meantime fans can register for tickets on the band's website.

The band's hometown of Liverpool, in northwest England, already boasts two attractions - Liverpool Beatles Museum and The Beatles Story - but neither are officially licensed by Apple Corps. - AFP 

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
Beatles , London , museum , pop culture , history , band , British

Next In Culture

Weekend for the arts: Aesop Women's Library, 'The Whale', 'Catopia'
Pop art icon Peter Max, counterculture’s colourful visionary, dies at 88
'Socrates In D# Minor' brings philosophy and the human experience to the stage
Umar Sharif’s debut solo takes a comb to hair, identity and school rules
Van Gogh’s masterpieces reunited for the first time in 40 years
Malaysian artist explores knowledge at its roots, revealing the humanity within
Malaysian artist-illustrator creates fantastical feline worlds in 'Catopia'
Finas safeguards the nation’s visual heritage through the revival of archives
Burst of genius: Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’ scroll and its wild afterlife
An anthology of 15 notebooks traces the fleeting moments of Malaysian life

Others Also Read