- 70 Years of The Cavern Club exhibition opens 16 January 2027
- Features more than 200 curated pieces spanning seven decades
- Includes John Lennon’s jacket and Paul McCartney’s dressing table
- The Beatles played at the Cavern 292 times between 1961 and 1963
- Exhibition runs until 31 October 2027 at Museum of Liverpool
A new exhibition, 70 Years of The Cavern Club, will open at Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 16 January 2027, 70 years to the day since the Cavern opened. Created in collaboration with The Cavern Club, the exhibition charts the club’s journey from a post-war jazz club in a Mathew Street cellar to a global cultural phenomenon and thriving live music venue. The exhibition will feature more than 200 curated pieces spanning seven decades of the legendary live music venue.
Highlights include John Lennon’s jacket worn during the recording of With The Beatles in 1963 and the band’s 1964 tour, Paul McCartney’s Cavern dressing table, Gerry Marsden’s acoustic guitar, Stevie Wonder’s performance contract signed when he was 15 years old, and George Harrison’s letter to Bob Wooler. Original gig posters and flyers charting the Cavern’s history and rare photos from the archive capturing the people, performances and life of the club will also be displayed. A recreation of the iconic Cavern stage sits at the centre of the exhibition.
The Beatles played at the Cavern 292 times between 1961 and 1963, while a young Cilla Black worked in the cloakroom. Gerry and the Pacemakers helped carry the sound spilling out of Liverpool’s best-known cellar across the Atlantic, becoming part of the Merseybeat phenomenon. The exhibition runs until Sunday 31 October 2027 with a programme of events and learning activities running alongside. Priority booking is open to National Museums Liverpool members with general tickets on sale from 14 September.
Jon Keats, Cavern Club Director, shared: “70 Years of The Cavern Club is a reminder that our story is not only about preserving musical history, but also about inspiring its future. We continue to welcome and showcase talented performers from around the world to play on our famous stage.” Karen O’Rourke, Curator of Sport, Music and Performance at Museum of Liverpool, shared: “This exhibition is our chance to tell that fuller story of the Cavern: the rise, the fall, the emotion, the people and its life today.”
