Decades after The Beatles split up, their music still echoes beneath Liverpool’s blue suburban skies. Ronald Cassar gets a ticket to ride at International Beatles Week.

Walking down a Liverpool street, it won’t be long before you hear the sound of live music. The scene is thriving and musicians are in every nook and cranny, accompanying the city’s every movement.

Still, all of them have a lot to live up to because Liverpool is indeed the music capital of England. Not only that, but The Beatles are still its most famous sons, half a century after the band split up.

The International Beatles Week, an annual music festival dedicated to the Fab Four, is held on the last week of August. Tribute bands from all over the world gather here to commemorate and celebrate the rich legacy The Beatles left. And they all gravitate towards Liverpool’s centre, a magnet which attracts a 300,000-strong crowd for the event.

I made new friends there – people come from all over the world on this particular week – and they continue coming every year, like some form of ritual. People of all ages, from different cultures and speaking different languages, who still adore The Beatles.

What impresses me most is the number of teenagers and 20-somethings who come for this week-long festival. I still remember a 20-year-old Canadian girl – who wasn’t even born when The Beatles split up – who had the faces of John, Paul, George and Ringo tattooed on her legs.

In this vibrant city, the phenomenon of The Beatles continues to serve as one of Liverpool’s biggest tourist draws. From the locations that provided inspiration for their most iconic songs, to the basement bars where they performed, an entire catalogue of Beatles culture, history and musical references are there to be discovered.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reached a level of superstardom that shot them into the record books as the best-selling band of all time. And with 600 million records sold, it is a title that remains theirs even today.

Still, the band’s humble beginnings proved that success did not happen overnight. With their home city providing their first audience, the boys slowly played their way to fame in the basement bars and clubs of Liverpool – bars and clubs that can still be visited today.

The Casbah Coffee Club formed an integral role in The Beatles’ formative years, offering a springboard for grander things. Just a few miles away, in the heart of the city, sits Mathew Street – famous for being the location of The Cavern Club – another basement bar. The Beatles started to play at The Cavern after a stint of 48 gigs in Hamburg, Germany.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reached a level of superstardom that shot them into the record books as the best-selling band of all-time. And with 600 million records sold, it is a title that remains theirs even today

These two iconic places are crowded with fans all year round. Stepping into the dark basement of The Cavern, there is a tangible presence of the Fab Four’s musical magic.

The Cavern may be able to boast other international stars among its performers but in its heart and soul, this bar belongs to The Beatles, who impressively performed there more than 300 times.

Mathew Street remains one of the city’s most famous pedestrian zones and represents the ongoing search for fresh musical talent from across Merseyside, with bars booming out with the sounds of new performers – hoping to get the big break and a record contract – almost daily.

It is on Mathew Street that you will witness the ultimate local honour – a bust erected in recognition of the ‘Four Lads Who Shook the World’.

Time has not faded The Beatles legend and their presence continues to echo throughout the city. Whether you are a diehard fan, hungry to consume every last sight and explore every piece of memorabilia on offer, or a casual observer of the world’s most successful band, Liverpool promises to give you a trip to remember.

Just don’t forget to bring your singing voices with you.

Let me take you down

’Cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields…

Highlights of International Beatles Week 2016

Fans

Beatles Week would be nothing without the thousands of fans who descend on Liverpool every last week of August. The Beatles remain the biggest, most famous band in the world and Beatles Week is like a G20 meeting – with music fans instead of politicians. While Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are unlikely to make an appearance, there is a good chance of stumbling across an impersonator. The sight of Peter Durr as John Lennon and Michael Callahan as Ringo Starr roaming the city centre raised quite some eyebrows.

Bands

Just as important as the fans, are the bands who each year adjust their calendars to be able to play at the most important Beatles event of the year. Along with tribute bands from Britain, the week-long festival attracts artists from all over the world. This year’s line-up included acts from Australia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, the US, Canada and Kazakhstan.

Special guests

With each passing year, and with two members of the band already gone, this event gives fans the chance to mingle and hear stories from some of whose who were close to The Beatles during their heydays. This year’s special guests included Pattie Boyd (George Harrison’s ex-wife), Revolver cover designer and Manfred Mann guitarist, Klaus Voormann and Micky Dolenz, frontman of the The Monkees.

Music

Of course, the music takes centre stage. Seven days a week’s worth of Beatles songs, played at venues spread across the city centre. Every year the organisers come up with a surprise for the fans and this year was no exception. Two gospel concerts were performed at St George’s Hall and the Royal Court, which featured the recreation of the Beatles’ Candlestick Park concert and a complete run through Revolver, an album which this year turned 50.