Exhibition to Mark 70 Years of The Cavern Club
The Museum of Liverpool has confirmed a major exhibition celebrating 70 years of The Cavern Club, set to open in 2027. The exhibition will chart the venue's rise from a post-war jazz club in a Mathew Street cellar to a global cultural phenomenon and thriving live music venue.
The Cavern Club is internationally recognised as the birthplace of The Beatles and the development of the defining sound of Merseybeat. Founded by Alan Sytner as a jazz venue, the club first opened on January 16, 1957, quickly attracting musicians such as Acker Bilk and Johnny Dankworth.
The basement stage was home to local emerging talent, including Ringo Starr playing drums with Rory Storm’s Hurricanes and The Quarry Men Skiffle Group featuring John Lennon, later joined by Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The Beatles became the resident Cavern band before the worldwide phenomenon of Beatlemania.
Personal Stories and First-Hand Accounts
The exhibition, titled 70 Years of The Cavern Club, will use personal stories and first-hand accounts to share the venue’s story. It will look at the Cavern's closures, redevelopment and revival, following its journey through to today's recognition as an integral part of a UNESCO City of Music.
John Lennon’s sister and Cavern co-owner Julia Baird said: "My brother John always said his happiest times as a band were playing in the Cavern. He wasn’t alone in his love of this wonderful club and what a great opportunity to get those stories and memories together in one place. Here’s to another 70 years!"
Curator's Perspective
Curator of sport, music and performance at Museum of Liverpool, Karen O'Rourke, said: "The Cavern Club is so much more than the dank basement where The Beatles were discovered, it's a cellar full of noise that has shaped Liverpool's identity for 70 years.
"This exhibition is our chance to tell that fuller story: the rise, the fall, the emotion, the people and its life today as a hard-working venue. We want visitors to leave our exhibition feeling The Cavern Club the way generations from across the globe have felt it, not as a historic place, but as a living, breathing part of our amazing city."
Exhibition Dates and Details
The exhibition opens at Museum of Liverpool from Saturday, January 16, 2027 and runs until Sunday, October 31, 2027. More information can be found on the National Museums Liverpool website.
