It was a golden summer – and now it’s a golden anniversary.
The Summer of Love of 1967 was a time to break free, to celebrate creativity, to revel in a counter-culture, to – as Timothy Leary famously suggested – ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’.
In America, Scott Mackenzie implored his listeners to ‘be sure to wear flowers in your hair’, while in London Pink Floyd headlined the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream at Alexandra Palace.
And on June 1, 1967 the Beatles added their own voice to the musical mix with the release of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The album was unlike anything that had gone before – and its power and impact transcended that one heady period of time so that 50 years on, it is widely regarded as the most important rock and roll album ever made.
To mark this special anniversary, Liverpool has commissioned 13 never-before-seen events, influenced by each track on the album.
Internationally-renowned artists are working in partnership with the city’s homegrown creative talent to bring to life this series of incredible reimagined pieces of work.
Expect dance, music, art, theatre and sheer magical spectacle on a large – and small – scale, as our very special celebration unfolds.
The adventure takes place from May 25 to June 16, as the city pays tribute to its own four musical pioneers and the piece of ‘art’ they produced in the only way it knows how – by pushing artistic boundaries and celebrating creativity in all its forms.
This is just one of the inspiring and visionary events created by Culture Liverpool and our partners, to find out more about what else is planned in 2017 check out Plan Your Visit.
We hope you will enjoy the show.
Sgt. Pepper at 50 (25 May – 16 June 2017) is Liverpool’s extraordinary response to the most influential album ever made, on the 50th anniversary of its release, with performances, installations, live spectacle and moments of surprise across the city. The programme features 13 major commissions by Culture Liverpool of international artists working in partnership with Liverpool’s world-class arts organisations, responding to the 13 legendary tracks on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Sgt Pepper at 50 programme was commissioned and produced by the City of Liverpool
Director of Culture, Claire McColgan MBE
Curators Séan Doran and Liam Browne (DoranBrowne)
Creative Producers Alicia Smith, Robin Kemp, Bev Ayre