The Cavern Club

The Current Cavern Club Is a Reconstruction Built Partly From Bricks of the Demolished Original

That is an appropriately Liverpudlian situation. The original Cavern Club at 10 Mathew Street, opened in 1957 as a jazz venue, was demolished in 1973 to make way for a ventilation shaft for a planned underground railway that was never built. When the current club opened in 1984, approximately half the original bricks had been recovered and stored; the reconstruction used them, making the current building simultaneously a replica and partly the original material. The Beatles played the original venue 292 times between 1961 and 1963.

The space is small – capacity around 300 in the main room – and the low brick vaulted ceiling and dim lighting do approximate the atmosphere of early 1960s Liverpool better than most music heritage venues manage. The stage is where the Beatles’ stage was, though exact dimensions changed slightly in reconstruction.

What Happens There Now

The club runs live music every day, from early afternoon through the night. Daytime shows feature Beatles tribute acts and Merseybeat covers; evening programming mixes tribute bands with original artists. Admission during the day is free. Evening tickets typically run GBP 5 to 10. There are framed photographs and memorabilia throughout the space.

The Mathew Street Area

The street itself has become a music tourism corridor with several other bars, a couple of Beatles statues including one of John Lennon leaning against a wall, and the Magical Mystery store. The annual Mathew Street Festival in late August draws tribute acts and significant crowds.

The Beatles Story

The Beatles Story at Albert Dock is the more comprehensive museum option, covering the band’s history from Hamburg through the breakup with reconstructed settings and original artefacts. It is about 10 minutes’ walk from Mathew Street. Tickets around GBP 17 for adults; allow two to three hours.

Liverpool Beyond Beatles Tourism

Albert Dock is a restored Victorian warehouse complex housing Tate Liverpool (contemporary art, free entry) and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The Pier Head waterfront walk passes the Three Graces – the Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building, and Port of Liverpool Building – which are the dominant landmarks of the city’s skyline.

Liverpool’s restaurant scene has improved significantly. The Bold Street and Lark Lane areas have the best independent restaurants. The Hope Street Hotel and the Titanic Hotel in Stanley Dock are the most characterful independent accommodation options.