Independent Venues in the Cavern Quarter join forces for Mathew Street Tribute Festival

As Liverpool’s summer season is now in full swing, the team at Pub Invest Group are busy working on their plans for their own innovative Mathew Street Tribute festival to take place during this August Bank Holiday weekend 2024.

Showcasing some of their own leading pub and live music sites in and around the renowned Cavern Quarter, as well as many other independent sites too. Since the Mathew Street Tribute Festival was first announced earlier in 2024, the plans have received a groundswell of support from key independent venues and businesses who want to bring this much-missed celebration back to life, but with a fresh twist.

The key players involved decided not only did they want to attract families to the event, as well as other key demographics, they also wished to ensure that everything is free at the point-of-entry, offering great value leisure time to celebrate the end of the summer. Live music is also part of this hugely fitting tribute, as the Rubber Soul complex and Sgt. Peppers have just announced that there will be 45 live bands playing over this noted Bank Holiday Weekend, from Friday to Monday inclusive.

The local independent venues all based within the Cavern Quarter taking part include:

• Sgt. Peppers
• Reminisce
• Revolver
• McCooleys
• Scruffy Murphy’s
• The Grapes
• Hardy’s
• White Star
• O’Briens
• Rubber Soul
• Eric’s
• King John
• Kaiserkeller
• Heaven
• The White Star
• Flanagan’s Apple
• Kabannas Liverpool
• Legends
• Wall of Fame

And it’s not just venues based in the Cavern Quarter, as surrounding area venues such as Abbey Road Bar & Kitchen on Harrington Street will also be involved.

Jimmy Boland Operations Manager at Pub Invest Group explains:

“Since we originally announced our plans to have a Mathew Street Tribute event, to mirror the hugely popular past festival which was mainstay of the city’s summer calendar, the response from our friends and neighbours on Mathew Street has been both enthusiastic and exceptional. 

Everyone in the city and visiting guests who used to visit the area to attend the original festival still talk to us about their fond memories of such enjoyable moments. While it is still a busy operating time for us as a group, we know that a dedicated Beatles-themed tribute celebration has been much-missed, right in the heart of a place which is synonymous with their memory.

We are delighted that more tremendous venues will be ready to give our tribute attendees a weekend to remember alongside us. I also think it says something about the culture of this fantastic area, with businesses stepping up together.

The whole Cavern Quarter is an iconic musical and cultural attraction, and this is a time to really underline that heritage. From our stance, we will also be about providing events which are free at point-of-entry, are family friendly, where all demographics can enjoy live music, fantastic value food and drinks, and a chance to make new memories.”

The legendary Grapes Pub, based on Mathew Street and renowned for its Beatles connections is one neighbour determined to add its personal stamp on this August Bank Holiday weekend event. Mrs Karen Strickland DPS for The Grapes adds: “I can remember the atmosphere here on Mathew Street during the 1990’s and the 2000’s, and the original format of the festival, with people simply just having a really great time. As a team we are really looking forward to joining the tribute to this festival, making it a Bank Holiday to remember.”

A newer addition to this fantastic zone is Scruffy Murphy’s, an Irish American Bar on Mathew Street, which already has a successful sister site on Harrington Street. Having developed its own reputation for live music, the team there are also getting ready to add something new to the event. Business Development Manager of Scruffy Murphy’s Nicola Halton comments: “We are really looking forward to taking part in the Mathew Street Tribute weekend at the end of August. We have some great local acts  lined up and we can’t wait to be working alongside other independents to make this a truly memorable Bank Holiday weekend.”

The Mathew Street Tribute festival will take place over the next Bank Holiday Weekend from Friday 24th – Monday 26th August 2024. 

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