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Liverpool is one of the best cities in the world when it comes to music and we’re allowed to say that because it’s definitely true! As a UNESCO City of Music and the birthplace of The Beatles we have our roots firmly grounded in the music scene 365 days of the year.
With a music calendar that is always jam packed with gigs, events and festivals to whole areas of the city dedicated to The Beatles and nightlife that you will want to stay up all night for - 48 hours in the city just might not be enough to fit it all in.
To help you plan your musical trip to Liverpool we have put together a guide of loads of things to do to keep you busy! You can follow it to the T or mix it up a bit but whatever you do you’ll be leaving with a whole new playlist to listen to!
Don't forget, if you need to get around the city quickly you can use the Merseyrail loop line so you can make the most of your trip to Liverpool.
WHERE TO STAY
If you want to be right in the center of all the action then we would recommend staying at Seel Street Hotel by Epic. Nestled in the heart of the Ropewalks District, the hotel combines modern luxury with the convenience of staying in the city centre. It’s super stylish and surrounded by all the best in musical venues.
DAY ONE
BREAKFAST
There is no better way to start your music filled trip to Liverpool than with a breakfast at Soul Cafe on Bold Street. Starting life as Soul F.M radio station, Motown and Soul music were and still are at the heart of everything they do. Serving up a mix of tunes and breakfasts to die for, it's a great way to prepare for the day!
MORNING ACTIVITY
Start your musical journey with a trip to the Museum of Liverpool to learn all about the city’s music roots. If you visit before 3rd November 2019 you’ll be lucky enough to catch ‘Double Fantasy - John and Yoko’, an amazing exhibition about the life of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
If you have time, run over to The British Music Experience at the historic Cunard Building to dive into some music history. Here you will be able to explore the history of British music and gaze at some impressive memorabilia including an outfit worn by Freddie Mercury, the original door from Apple Corp and handwritten song lyrics from Adele!
LUNCH
Take a walk around the stunning Royal Albert Dock and grab lunch at The Fab4 Cafe, the ultimate place for lunch if you’re a Beatles fan. Try out their extensive menu whilst listening to all the fab four’s hits and even have a go at tinkling the ivories on their customised piano!
AFTERNOON ACTIVITY
A trip to Liverpool to explore our musical roots wouldn't be complete without a visit to The Beatles Story. Find the award winning attraction nestled into The Royal Albert Dock and dive into the history of the lives and career of The Beatles. You’ll be taken on an immersive journey of Beatlemania as you enter into a recreation of The Cavern Club, see Lennon’s piano and explore the band’s famous trip to India. It’s a must for any music fan!
EVENING MEAL
For something to eat surrounded by live music we would recommend heading out to the Baltic Market in The Baltic Triangle, the new trendy part of town that is always alive with people and live music. The Baltic Market is Liverpool’s first street food market and plays hosts to an ever evolving selection of the regions best independent food outlets. There is everything from stone baked pizzas, halloumi fries, mouth watering burgers and everything else in between!
What makes this place perfect for music lovers is that there is nearly always a local band or musician gracing the stage in the evenings. If there isn't, their music selection is always on point so you won't be disappointed regardless of the entertainment.
EVENING ACTIVITY
Whilst you’re in The Baltic Triangle you must check out some of the other venues for loads of music entertainment. Camp and Furnace is one of the most exciting venues in the city and offers loads of events from Bongo’s Bingo, Sounds Familiar Music Quiz, Ya Nan’s Big Quiz and Sing-a-Long, The Late Wake Club and loads more. Make sure you plan in advance for these events because they always sell out!
You should also check out venues like 24 Kitchen Street, District, On Air and The Baltic Social for loads of different music events from huge gigs, to DJ sessions, open mic nights and whole festivals.
DAY TWO
BREAKFAST
After a busy day and a good night's sleep, an amazing breakfast at LEAF on the bustling Bold Street will set you up for day two of your musical trip. They have everything from the traditional Full English which you can get as a vegetarian or vegan option to all the usual brunch favourites and a very impressive tea selection.
LEAF is a great place to return to in the evenings too as they also put on a host of gigs, open mic nights and spotify sessions in their beautiful venue. Swap the tea menu for their amazing gin selection and you’ll be in for a great night.
MORNING ACTIVITY
Take a stroll around town and explore all the vintage and vinyl shops for that latest music bargain. We have loads of cool music shops to spend the morning digging through; try out Probe Records on School Lane, Dig Vinyl on Bold Street, Jacaranda Records on Slater Street, Jacaranda: Phase One on Seel Street or 3B Records on Slater Street. You never know what musical gem you might find!
If shopping isn’t your thing then why don't you take on the dizzying heights of St John’s Beacon home to Radio City? At 400ft the tower offers 360 degree views of the city so it makes for a great way to see Liverpool from above in a bit of Liverpool’s music history.
LUNCH
The Everyman Bistro is a brilliant place to head for lunch and take in some musical surroundings. Based in the Everyman Theatre on Hope Street, the bistro not only offers a range of lunch options but also loads of gigs and theatre productions to get excited about too!
AFTERNOON ACTIVITY
You can’t really get away with not seeing Mathew Street when you’re in Liverpool, it’s a piece of music history! Tread the cobbles of the famous street and explore everything it has to offer from the famous Cavern Club, The Grapes, John Lennon’s statue and all the food and drink places to rest your legs and grab a drink.
EVENING MEAL
After all the walking you’re going to want to have something pretty filling for dinner and Sound Food and Drink is the perfect place to head for something to eat. They serve up everything from pizzas and burgers to salads, sandwiches and a good old portion of halloumi fries! They even have loads of vegetarian and vegans option available too.
What's great about Sound Food and Drink is that by day it's a cool place to grab something to eat but at night the basement comes alive with gigs, shows and performances by all sorts of acts. It’s one of the coolest venues in town to check out the local music scene.
You could also head to Nightcrawler Pizza on Slater Street for a slice of classic New York Style pizza whilst listening to a local DJ on the decks in The Merchant next door, we’d definitely recommend a visit here for something a little different (their gin and tonic is also amazing).
EVENING ACTIVITY
The evenings in Liverpool are made for live music; whatever day of the week you visit there will always be someone gracing a stage with amazing music from all genres.
Check out venues like Jacaranda: Phase One or The Arts Club for some local and touring acts, wander round the Ropewalks Area and head into bars like Heebie Jeebies or Level for some banging playlists, search for Berry and Rye for some smooth jazz or settle yourself into the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall for gigs and fantastic classical music.
The possibilities are literally endless when it comes to finding music that suits your taste in Liverpool, check out this blog for some of the best music venues to look out for on your visit to the city.
If you’re planning your trip to Liverpool in advance then make sure you check to see if any of our amazing music festivals are on at the same time as your trip. Some of them require tickets but we also have loads of free ones that you can head down to for a weekend in our musical city.
You may also find these blogs useful:
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BLOG POST PROFILE
This blog post has been written by Sophie Shields, Digitial Marketing Assistant for Marketing Liverpool.
Sophie is from Liverpool, loves all things music, particularly the local music scene and Liverpool FC.
Related
The Museum of Liverpool is the world’s first national museum devoted to the history of a regional city and the largest newly-built national museum in Britain for more than a century.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is one the world’s oldest concert societies at the centre of which is the award-winning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and its associated ensembles and concert series.
Located on Liverpool’s incredible World Heritage Site waterfront, the Albert Dock structure features the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in the whole country.
The award-winning ‘The Beatles Story’ is the world’s largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to telling the story of The Beatles’ rise to fame, located in the band’s hometown of Liverpool.
The legendary cellar that has seen seven incredible decades of music; the Cavern Club remains the beating heart of Liverpool’s iconic music scene.
The Cavern Pub, opposite the Cavern Club in Mathew Street, features an exterior wall with the names of all the artists who have played at the Cavern Club since it opened in 1957.
The British Music Experience tells the story of British Music through costumes, instruments, performance and memorabilia. They've got outfits worn by artists from David Bowie to the X Factor finalists, musical instruments from Noel Gallagher to the Sex Pistols and memorabilia from the Beatles through to Adele. You can also try the vocal booth, dance the decades or play top guitars and drums. Whatever age you are, and whatever you are into, there is something here for you.
Seel Street Hotel combines modern luxury with the convenience of city centre living. We're just a stone's throw from Liverpool Central railway station, ACC Liverpool, and some of the city's best nightlife. And with 128 beautifully furnished rooms, a stylish lounge bar, and top notch gym facilities, we have everything you need for an indulgent getaway.
Double Fantasy - John & Yoko, at Museum of Liverpool from 18 May 2018 to 3 November 2019, is a free exhibition, celebrating the meeting of two of the world’s most creative artists who expressed their deep and powerful love for one another through their art, music and film. They used their fame and influence to campaign for peace and human rights across the world, transforming not only their own lives, but art, music and activism forever.
Liverpool's first ever street food market, Baltic Market situated on the redeveloped Caines Brewery site.
A unique, independent teashop and bar located on Bold Street in the heart of Liverpool city centre.
Radio City, one of the UK's most successful radio stations, gives you a unique opportunity to view Merseyside's ever changing skyline over 400 feet above the heart of the city centre.
The Everyman is back after a two year redevelopment, bringing a host of food and drink offerings to the people of Liverpool.
Probe Records on School Lane is the perfect place to head to for the latest vinyl releases and a huge collection of classics. This small independent record store has an incredible collection of albums and singles from all genres of music.
