Beatles festival tourists fly in despite airport alerts

Aug 19 2006 By Jessica Shaughnessy Daily Post Staff

This year marks the 21st anniversary of International Beatle Week, organised by Cavern City Tours.

For the first time, it will include three different performances at the Empire Theatre, one featuring the best of the British tribute bands The Bootleg Beatles, another with 1960s icon Donovan headlining with John Lennon's original band The Quarrymen and Tony Sheridan.

A third night features a collection of some of the greatest Merseybeat performers including The Searchers, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Undertakers, Kingsize Taylor and Beryl Marsden.

Organiser Bill Heckle said: "The event just gets better every year. We've got some great acts, including a band from Chile, which we've never had before. But people are coming from across the world, no matter what."

This year, for the first time in the history of the Bank Holiday event, music will begin on Friday.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at the Pier Head for a 7.30pm concert with guests including Pete Wylie and Thomas Lang.

This year's Liverpool Performs theme continues, with homegrown band The Lightning Seeds headlining on Mathew Street Sunday.

From Saturday to Monday, there will be a dedicated new band stage at the Pier Head which will feature 31 new or unsigned Liverpool bands.

The first hour on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-noon, will be dedicated to the winners of an X-Factor style music competition called Streetwaves, held across the city's seven neighbourhoods.

Leader of Liverpool City Council Cllr Warren Bradley said: "When the council got involved with Beatle Week, we wanted to lure bigger names to the event and it has certainly paid off. It gets bigger every year.

"But at the same time it is still the perfect platform to showcase local talent."