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A temporary exhibition charting the history of the iconic guitar brand through one of its most loyal artists - Noel Gallagher. Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher Wednesday 27 September 2023 - Sunday 14 January 2024 Our current temporary exhibition charts the history of the iconic Epiphone brand through the guitars of one of its most loyal artists, Noel Gallagher. From the timeless cool of the jazz age through the looking glass of 1960s psychedelia to the wall of sound of 1990s Britpop and today’s eclectic scene, Epiphone instruments have remained central to pop culture’s “big bang” moments. The Casino, the Texan, the Sheraton, the Riviera – model names that chime with guitarists everywhere, inspiring awe and desire in equal measure, whether you are a Beatle or a beginner. What most people don’t realise, however, is that Epiphone’s history stretches back even further than Gibson’s, beginning 150 years ago in a port on the Aegean Sea in what is now Turkey. Moving into 2023, Epiphone has grand plans for its 150th Anniversary year, including a raft of exciting new product releases, special events, activities with signature artists, and much more besides. Here’s to the next 150 years – the House of Stathopoulo has never been in better health. To mark the anniversary from a British perspective, this temporary exhibition will feature some of Noel Gallagher’s most treasured guitars. Noel Gallagher’s love for Epiphone started with The Beatles. Thirty years after Revolver, Epiphone instruments were used throughout the sessions for albums Definitely Maybe and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, and, in 1996, Oasis headlined two epic shows at Knebworth, with Noel using a 1990s USA-made Sheraton for the era-defining performances. While he used a wide range of guitars, pedals, and amplifiers throughout his career, Gallagher often used a cherry sunburst Epiphone Les Paul, two Epiphone Sheratons, and the Beatles’ favourite Epiphone Casino. Gallagher says “I wanted to start playing Epiphones because of the Beatles. I didn’t know anything about guitars then. They looked good; they felt good, I could make them sound good. I’m a songwriter, not a guitar player. You know, that’s my thing. I’m not one of those people who can sit in a guitar shop and play lots of things. I will literally play an E chord, and if it had sounded great and felt good, I would have just said, ‘Yeah, I’ll take it. '” To mark 150 years of Epiphone, Noel has kindly loaned four of his private guitar collection for this exhibition, including his Epiphone Riviera with Bigsby from the Definitely Maybe album cover and his Epiphone Frontier FT110 used on the (What's the Story) Morning Glory recording. We have a season of activity supporting the celebrations including the Epiphone take-over of our Gibson Brands Interactive Studio which has been refreshed and restocked with a line-up of the finest Epiphones for all visitors to play along with the Gibson App. Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher is included with all general entry tickets purchased. To find out more about 150 years of Epiphone, head to https://www.epiphone.com/en-GB/150

Join us at the BME as we screen the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest live from Malmo. Eurovision Grand Final Screening 11 May 2024 - doors 6.30pm Eurovision 2023 was the biggest party Liverpool has ever hosted, and we’re ready to do it all over again at the BME! We’re screening the Eurovision 2024 Grand Final LIVE from Malmö and this year we’re Dizzy with excitement for Olly Alexander! So, if you’re still Making Your Mind Up about where to go…look no further. This is your chance to revel in the ABBA-solute joy of Europe’s most inclusive night of the year, 50 years on from Abba’s legendary win with Waterloo. Get your flags out, your most flamboyant glad rags on and join us for our Eurovision party right in the middle of the museum. You’ll be surrounded by hundreds of iconic pieces of British Music memorabilia, including Sam Ryder's Eurovision 2022 Space Man outfit and our temporary exhibition Girl Power – Spice Girls at 30. Grab your seat in front of the big screen for a fabulous night of pop where dancing, singing and flag-waving is highly encouraged! The bar will be open for the whole night, serving everything from Bucks Fizz (of course!) and Gina G&T. You’ll be in a state of Euphoria as we celebrate Malmö’s place in Eurovision history! All tickets £20. On sale Friday 16 February 2024, 10am.

Join us for a Cafe Acoustic Session in the BME Star Cafe bar. Le-Verg and Chris Hockenhull Café Acoustic Session 6 July 2023 - 7.30pm Our Café Acoustic sessions return with performances by Lè-Verg and the Freewheelin’ Chris Hockenhull. Lè-Verg are a duo, formed around ten years ago after a chance meeting at a 40th birthday bash in Runcorn. Junior approached Debbie after hearing her sing a Karen Carpenter song and a partnership was born. They have gigged extensively since then playing covers as well as original songs. This gig sees them return to Liverpool after their success at the Liverpool Acoustic song writing challenge in 2022 at Leaf on Bold Street, where they won the audience vote for their song Springs A Dawn . Chris Hockenhull began his Around The World in 80 Years Tour in 1976 - "I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself you see." From busking in Paris, to running a record store, promoting gigs, writing Raph McTell’s official biography and becoming a recognised authority on Bob Dylan – it’s been a wonderful and varied musical path. This event is taking place in our Star Café Bar and is FREE, no ticket required - seats allocated on a first come first served basis. The Star Café Bar is located off the main museum foyer. Cafe bar opens 6.45pm. Curfew 9.30pm. Le-Verg Chris Hockenhull

The BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show Live Museum main hall Friday 12 May 2023 - 8am Join Zoe Ball, Richie Anderson and Tina Daheley along with some of the Radio 2 Eurovision family as they throw the ultimate Eurovision pre-party with a special Zoe Ball Breakfast Show live from the BME! There’ll be live music from Sam Ryder plus special guests as Zoe gets Liverpool ready for the biggest weekend. Radio 2 are giving away 50 pairs of tickets to join us from 8am until 9.30am on Friday 12 May. Tickets are free and will be allocated in pairs by random draw with 90% to Liverpool postcodes and 10% to the rest of the UK. Only one application will be accepted per person, multiple applications will not be eligible for selection. You can enter the random draw until 8am on Thursday 4 May by clicking on the link below. This seated event is for those aged 18 years and over. https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/eurovision-zoe-ball-12may23

Featuring three artists to mark International Women's Day 2022 IWD Cafe Sessions: Acoustic Night 8 March 2022 - 7.15pm Join us for an evening of acoustic music and spoken word to mark International Women’s Day featuring three performers - Meg Shaw, Kelly Cresswell and Meg DeMar - taking place in our Star Café. Meg Shaw is a 21 year old artist based in Liverpool, and originally from the West Midlands, taking inspiration from genres such as pop, RnB, jazz and anything that catches the ear. Her music involves heartfelt lyrics, interesting chords and catchy choruses. Taking inspiration from Madison Cunningham, Lianne La Havas, Sammy Rae, Gloria Tells and Billie Eilish to name just a few, Meg released two singles in 2020 entitled ‘What You Deserve’ and ‘The Escape’, and is currently working on more singles for 2022. Meg DeMar is a multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter. Meg turns their rants, views and past experiences into music, using it as an output to express themselves. They focus on issues faced as being a woman to create conversation and to open dialogue. Meg’s pop/rock sound is influenced by a range of artist such as Sia, IAMX, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Regina Spektor. Kelly Cresswell is an emerging self-taught musician from Northwest England who took up song writing in 2020 as a distraction from her challenging role as an NHS Nurse. A multi-instrumentalist, versatile vocalist and confident solo performer, she began entertaining online audiences by live streaming on Facebook in 2020 and has now begun doing live gigs, with the aim of reaching a wider audience with her music. She writes and performs from the heart and her catchy melodies and unique vocal style have helped her gain lots of support from her many followers. Kelly has released five unique singles since she began releasing her music in June 2021, and is currently working on recording her first EP alongside her musical partner Colin Guthrie, a talented guitarist and producer. This is a FREE event. Our licensed Star Café is situated off the main museum foyer. Please note, our museum galleries are closed during events. Kelly Creswell Meg Shaw Meg DeMar

A temporary exhibition charting the history of the most important girl band in British music history. G irl Power! Spice Girls at 30 Wed nesday 7 February 2024 - Sunday 1 June 2025 Girl Power! Spice Girls at 30* is a temporary exhibition charting the history of the most important girl band in British history. In March 1994 an ad was placed in The Stage asking "Are you street smart, extrovert, ambitious, and able to sing and dance?". The rest is history. The Spice Girls debut single Wannabe topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996, they sold 80 million records and had nine UK Number One singles. The exhibition celebrates the story of how Sporty, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Posh became one of the most successful girl groups ever and enjoyed phenomenal global success. Girl Power! Spice Girls at 30 tells the band’s story through outfits from the extraordinary collection of independent curator Liz West, who is the foremost collector of Spice Girls memorabilia and merchandise in the World. Liz’s Guinness World Record breaking collection boasts many iconic costumes all beautifully hand-made by international designers or specially commissioned by the Spice Girls themselves. Liz began collecting Spice Girls memorabilia in 1996 when the girls first launched themselves onto the pop scene. As an impressionable 11-year-old, she was hooked as soon as they released their first single 'Wannabe'. At that age all her friends and family would buy Spice Girls items for Birthday and Christmas presents. Initially Liz just collected albums, magazines and sticker books but after a year of chart successes she started buying singles and masses of official merchandise. Everything was kept pristine in the packaging unlike her contemporaries who would use the items. Liz had a collector’s instinct from an early age, she would arrange and showcase proudly the boxed memorabilia on her bedroom shelves as a teenager. Liz did not buy her first museum worthy piece until at Art School in Glasgow, armed with a student loan she purchased a top worn my Melanie C at the age of 19 via eBay. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in 2007, Liz pursued her idea of exhibiting her ever increasing Spice Girls collection in museums nationwide. The outfits on display will be complemented by audio visual elements, including a stage show montage of Spice Girls hits and listening stations. We have a season of activity planned to support the exhibition including film screenings, conversations, acoustic music and a special quiz night. Finally, the Museum’s merch store will be selling a range of Spice Girls apparel and giftware. Girl Power! Spice Girls at 30 is included with all general entry tickets purchased. All general entry tickets are valid for 12 months and each eligible visitor has the opportunity to support the Museum by Gift Aiding the cost of admission. *Girl Power - Spice Girls at 30 is a collectors event and not an official Spice Girls exhibition.

Temporary Exhibition celebrating Scottish Rock and Pop, running 4 March to 25 September 2022 Don't You Forget About Me Celebrating Scottish Rock and Pop 4 March - 30 October 2022 Due to popular demand, the exhibition has been extended until 30 October 2022. We're looking north for the inspiration behind our new exhibition, celebrating the massive contribution to British Rock and Pop made by Scottish artists. The exhibition features iconic pieces from bands and artists who have helped shape the global music landscape over more than 60 years. The collection includes the Burberry coat worn by Midge Ure in the classic Ultravox pop video for Vienna, as well as the Tom Ford leather `Elvis’ outfit designed for Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri and the Issey Miyake coat worn by Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil. Instruments loaned for the exhibition include Cream legend Jack Bruce’s Aria bass guitar, and a Fender Stratocaster used by Big Country frontman and Skids guitarist Stuart Adamson, as well as an Ibanez acoustic guitar played by John McGeoch, once of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees. There are also many other fascinating artefacts with significant contributions from artists such as Runrig, Primal Scream, Fish, Clare Grogan, Eddi Reader and the Bay City Rollers which include other iconic outfits, awards and pop culture gems. Harvey Goldsmith CBE and Chair of the Trustees of the British Music Experience said “We are delighted to be hosting Don’t You Forget About Me at the British Music Experience. It’s undeniable there have been monumental talents out of Scotland each year and the Museum is here to learn about and celebrate that talent, reminisce, and explore some of the unique bands and artists. The talent from Scotland is a vital part of the proud export of UK music which dominates the world.” Head of UNESCO City of Liverpool, Kevin McManus, commented “It’s great that BME are showcasing the best of Scottish music through Don’t You Forget About Me. There is musical talent all over Scotland, but Liverpool has strong links with Glasgow in particular- another maritime city that has consistently proved itself to be a musical powerhouse over the last 50 years. Indeed, both Liverpool and Glasgow are proud holders of the UNESCO City of Music designation, further linking and making us even closer musical allies.” The exhibition will be supported throughout its stay at the British Music Experience by a series of events including film screenings, performances, album playbacks and talks as well as some hard-to-find band merch and bespoke artwork celebrating Scottish talent. Ronnie Gurr, who has co-curated the exhibition and worked with countless Scottish artists during his lengthy career in the music industry, commented, "I was honoured when the BME invited me to pull together a smaller but equally beautiful reboot of the exhibition I had previously curated for the National Museum of Scotland called Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop and to re-acquire some of the key artefacts from artists who have played their part in Scotland’s brilliant musical history. I have previously been described by the Scottish media as “the Indiana Jones of Scottish music” and, as such, it was another labour of love, a glorious adventure and a renewed quest to track down the treasures that you’ll see in Don’t You Forget About Me - or, as it might be called...Caledonia and The Pool of Life.” Entry is included in the price of admission. All tickets purchased are valid for 12 months and each eligible visitor has the opportunity to support the Museum by Gift Aiding the cost of admission.

Thank you HLF, DCMS and Cultural Recovery Grant Thanks to the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund... The British Music Experience is thrilled to announce a grant for £97,800. Thanks to the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund the BME will keep its doors open in a covid safe way, retain jobs, programmes, activities and celebrate the UK's rich music heritage. Without these vital funds the Museum would most likely have been mothballed, jobs lost, and a world renowned collection of objects dispersed. We are so grateful. Thank you. Culture creates jobs, supports livelihoods, and brings joy to everyone. The UK leads the world in the creative industries and we can all feel pride in that. Now, in these challenging times, it’s our turn to show our support for culture. With an unprecedented investment through the £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund, the government is #HereForCulture so it can weather the storm of coronavirus and come back stronger. And we are #HereForCulture too. #HereForCulture is a movement that unites the public, government and cultural organisations in support of our fantastic cinemas, theatres, music venues, museums, galleries and heritage. We want people to make sure that where they are able to visit local culture venues in their communities, they do so in a covid secure way. Plus, with more and more culture being curated online, there is no better time to support and enjoy all the new and exciting ways culture is available to us. By being #HereForCulture, we aren’t just supporting the people in the industry, we’re also supporting communities across the country.

An evening in conversation with one of the most successful musicians of his generation. An Evening in Conversation with Midge Ure 9 December - 7.00pm We are delighted to welcome one of the most successful musicians of his generation, Midge Ure to BME for an evening in conversation. An artist who has received Ivor Novello, Grammy, BASCAP awards along with a flotilla of gold and platinum records, really needs very little introduction. By the time Midge's single "If I Was" went to No1 in 1985 he had already crammed several musical lifetimes into a 10-year professional career - Slik, The Rich Kids, Thin Lizzy, Visage, Ultravox and of course the most famous one-off group in musical history Band Aid all had the guiding hand of his musical navigation. November 25, 1984 was a historic day for Midge and all of pop music, as 36 artists by the collective name Band Aid gathered at SARM Studios in west London under Ure's production. They recorded 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' a song he had just written with Bob Geldof as the industry's heartfelt and eloquent contribution to Ethiopian famine relief. 600,000 copies sold in its first week in the UK alone and that was only the beginning: 800,000 more were bought in the second week, more than three million world-wide, and the unstoppable emotion engendered by the project led to Live Aid, the summer 1985 global concert that, all exaggeration aside, spoke for a generation. Within months, a staggering £8 million had been raised for the starving in Africa, and Geldof said that without Ure's initial enthusiasm for the idea, not to mention his rapidly penned sketch for the single, neither Band Aid nor Live Aid could have happened. Midge’s career continues to this day as writer, musician, producer and TV presenter. Midge and his band Electronica are returning to the UK with the ‘Voice & Visions’ tour, celebrating 40 years since the release of Ultravox’s Rage In Eden and Quartet albums. For this special evening, Midge will be in conversation with publisher Ronnie Gurr talking about his career to date. As an extra treat he will also perform a couple of acoustic songs. Midge’s new photobook, ‘in a picture frame’ will also be on sale at the event - a stunning collection of photographs taken by Midge on his travels between 1980 and 1985. All tickets £16. On sale Friday 5 November, 10am. Tickets to the event will allow you unlimited general entry to the BME for one whole year. You can help us support and grow the archive and collection of instruments and outfits by agreeing to Gift Aid your event ticket. We will receive £0.25 for each £1 spent. Remember to complete your Gift Aid declaration and hand it to us on arrival. Thank you for the support.

All day screening of highlights from the Wembley Live Aid concert, held on 13th July 1985. Live Aid Takeover 15 July 2023 - 10am-5pm Join us on Saturday July 15th to celebrate 38 years since the original Live Aid concerts were held in 1985. Billed as the 'global jukebox', the event was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium, attended by about 72,000 people, and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia attended by exactly 89,484 people. Thirteen satellites were used to beam the concerts to television sets around the world with the estimated television audience 1.9 billion across 150 countries. It is estimated that more than £150 million has been raised for famine relief as a direct result of the concerts. We will be showing highlights from the Wembley Stadium concert on our main stage during regular museum opening hours, so you can watch a little or a lot, take a break to look around the museum or visit our Star Café before the next band take to the stage. As well as the footage, our Live Aid cabinet is full of original memorabilia from 1984 onwards. The concert will be running on our main screen throughout the day, meaning our regular stage shows will be suspended for the day to make way for this historical footage. Free (general ticket entry required). Some seating available.

Gift the Histroy of British Rock and Pop Gift the History of British Rock and Pop Gift Vouchers Buy an e-voucher for the music-lover in your life and they can visit t he British Music Experience - the UK’s only museum dedicated to celebrating British music. The museum boasts an unrivalled collection of memorabilia, stage outfits and instruments and includes galleries, interactive zones, audio visual experiences and holographic performances. They can also get hands-on in the Gibson Brands Interactive Studio by learning to play guitar, drums or keyboards and dance their way through the eras in the Dance the Decades studio. E-vouchers can be used across the museum, so can be used to purchase general entry tickets and can also be used in the Star Café and Merch Store. Simply choose the amount you wish to gift and customise the voucher with your own message. The recipient will receive an email with all the detail and if they have an iPhone, they can download the voucher to their Apple Wallet. Please note, the recipient can only redeem the gift voucher in the museum - they cannot buy tickets online. There is no requirement for them to pre-book, they just come along on the day and time they wish. Buy Now

In conversation with Will Sergeant plus book signing Echoes: A Memoir Continued In-conversation with Will Sergeant 24 August 2023 - 7.30pm *SOLD OUT* BME is thrilled to host the book launch event for Will Sergeant’s follow-up memoir, Echoes. Born and raised in a small council house in Melling, outside of Liverpool, Will Sergeant caught with raw honesty his early days in 2021’s Bunnymen: his mother leaving the family, his father damaged no doubt in ways we still don’t understand from World War Two, the demon drink skewering the lives of Will and his siblings. Despite a difficult start – and luckily for adolescent Will -- there was a chance visit to indie club Eric’s in Liverpool, which introduced him to the punk scene…and an alternative musical odyssey began. When Echo & the Bunnymen hit the studio to record their ground-breaking debut Crocodiles, the album was the making of the band, and a cult following began to grow. In Echoes, Will recounts the band’s whirlwind rise to stardom, sharing never-before-told anecdotes, including playing sold-out-shows at Whiskey A Go Go and experiencing the iconic New York club scene, supplemented by photographs of the cultural, social and political scenes at the time. This is a memoir to savour. Will Sergeant is a founding member of Echo & The Bunnymen. He has been cited as an influence for many bands and artists internationally, including U2, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Radiohead. He lives in the north west of England and still tours across the world to this day with his band. Will is in-conversation with Liverpool’s UNESCO Head of Music, Kevin McManus. The in-conversation will be followed by a book signing. Books are available to purchase on the evening from Linghams Booksellers. Tickets £8 - on sale Friday 7 July, 10am