A high tech bandstand is set to be opened on the Strawberry Field.
The grounds, which were once a Salvation Army children's home, were visited regularly by a young John Lennon, who would later pen the track Strawberry Fields Forever. Now a new era of musicians will be urged to take to the stage at the bandstand, with money raised going to charity.
The Salvation Army owns and operates Strawberry Field, and every ticket sale or donation made at the attraction helps support "Steps at Strawberry Field", a series of programmes which provide employability skills training and valuable work placements across the Liverpool City Region for adults with learning difficulties and other barriers to employment.
READ MORE: Number one hit single the Beatles 'gave away'
Called the Strawberry Field Forever bandstand, it will feature advanced computer lighting and sound technology. It is also planned for visitors to enjoy musical and theatrical performances from the bandstand via wireless headphones as they roam the famous grounds.
Major Kathleen Versfeld, mission director at Strawberry Field, said: “We are very excited to give visitors a first glimpse of our amazing new Strawberry Field Forever bandstand. It’s a culmination of so much hard work by so many people, and I know visitors will love it. The bandstand will be beautiful and in a league of its own, just like John Lennon and his inspired music-making which is still relevant today. It is a bandstand dedicated to peace and we expect it to be an instrument for peace for our visitors, for the Merseyside community and for the entire world.
“The Strawberry Field Forever bandstand will be a wonderful enhancement to our visitor centre, a resource for international visitors, trainees and the local community to enjoy, and a place where new and local talent will be showcased.”
The bandstand is set to open in 2023.
Join our The Beatles Nostalgia group for our biggest stories about the band.
READ NEXT
More Beatles content from the Liverpool ECHO
When the Beatles were arrested on suspicion of arson
90s band Paul McCartney had feud with after Beatles comparisons
Earliest mentions of Paul McCartney in ECHO articles from early 1950s
