City of Music: Liverpool Honoured for its Musical Offering

Liverpool, the birthplace of the world’s most famous pop group, The Beatles, has been declared as England’s first ‘city of Music’. UNESCO, which awarded Liverpool ‘World Heritage Site’ status in 2004, has now turned its attention to the city’s musical offering. The ‘City of Music’ status has been awarded due to music’s place at the heart of Liverpool’s contemporary culture, education and the economy. It was also given to the city based on its commitment to having a clearly defined music, education and skills strategy for young people so that Liverpool can continue to produce world class talent. Liverpool is the second city in the UK to be given the honour – Glasgow received it in 2008. The city is among one of 10 other global destinations which have also been given the title (on Friday 11 December) including Kingston in Jamaica and Salvador in Brazil. There are now 19 Cities of Music in total and they form part of the prestigious UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The judges highlighted that urban festivals like Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF), Liverpool Sound City and Liverpool Psych Fest have not only cemented the city as a haven for music, but also helped to develop young industry professionals. The designation also noted the importance and contribution of established names such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Creamfields, Africa Oye and LIPA, the fame school launched by former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “Liverpool is renowned for its musical influence and this status is the ultimate, and appropriate, accolade for a city which lives and breathes music.” “I’m confident that with the support of Unesco, this will grow further and people will realise that it is not just about the city’s contribution to music history, but is about the exciting things happening right now.” Discover the story of the world’s most famous pop group by purchasing tickets to the Beatles Story here.