The four-project plan includes the creation of “The Abbey Road of the North”
A radical four-project plan to supercharge the city’s music tourism industry and bring millions into the local economy has been announced. The plans, confirmed by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram at a Creative UK event at this year’s Labour Party Conference, will embrace AI and VR to “future-proof music tourism, recording and education”.
Liverpool City Council has mapped out four interlinked projects which they say “would revolutionise the industry and have a multi-million pound economic impact for decades to come”. The plans which are due to be announced in full next year – 10 years after Liverpool was appointed a UNESCO City of Music – are hoped to play a significant role in the regeneration of the city.
Speaking about the new plans, Mr Rotheram said: “The Liverpool City Region has always had music running through its veins – it’s part of who we are. We’re launching bold, groundbreaking projects that will remix the way music is made and experienced – right here in the heart of the UK.
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“With cutting-edge technology like AI and VR, we’re creating opportunities for the next generation, making sure that Liverpool isn’t just a city with a rich musical history, but a global leader in the music of the future.
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“This isn’t just business – it’s about giving young people the chance to thrive and putting our region back on the world stage. We’re setting the standard for what a music city should be in the 21st century.”
Liverpool City Council said the four projects, which are expected to be funded by private sector sources and supported by government money, are:
- The Music Futures Lab – a facility that will bring together music businesses and musicians from across the creative and digital sectors to reimagine the way we all create, consume and experience music in the future. This new lab would be the first of its kind in the UK, taking advantage of the opportunities AI and VR brings, and would build on – and future-proof – the creative and digital sector which the city already boasts.
- MusicFutures Cluster – a mix of academic and private sector bodies creating the talent and training pipeline to make the most of the facilities which the music lab will offer. A creative cluster has already been established to kickstart this in bringing together the music and creative industries.
- Immersive Liverpool – this fully immersive audio and visual visitor attraction will reimagine the way that audiences experience the music they love. A world first, this attraction will offer a rotating set of residencies with popular music artists. Liverpool City Council is undergoing a site selection process and is in partnership with industry leaders to help develop the scheme.
- Recording and Rehearsal space – this space would become a new rehearsal home for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a leading national facility for emerging and established artists. ‘The Abbey Road of the North’ would be the only UK studio of its kind. As well as boosting the city’s ability to offer recording facilities for musicians, TV, film and gaming, it would also provide first-class training, performance and rehearsal spaces all year-round for young people across the region.
Councillor Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “Music is the heartbeat of Liverpool and for generations it has defined the city’s global appeal. The time has come to translate that heritage into an offer that shapes our future.
“We have ambitious plans to remix what it means to be a music city. These projects will help define and shape the next generation of talent and businesses and will increase the impact music can have on our communities and individuals from all walks of life.”
Culture Liverpool Director Claire McColgan said: “Liverpool is reimagining the role music plays in the regeneration of a city. By bringing musicians and the creative and digital industries closer together and building the facilities to make the most of our enviable talent pool, we believe this approach can be a driving force in positioning Liverpool as a music city remixed.
“These projects are at a really exciting stage, and we are now starting to get a sense of their scope and potential impact which could redefine what music means to Liverpool and to the rest of the country. We’re looking at a 10 year-plan to supercharge not just our visitor economy but the way that young people get access to the best music education in the world.”
