Liverpool maps out masterplan to remix “Music City” status

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced radical plans to “remix the music sector” by embracing AI and VR to future-proof music tourism, recording and education.

Liverpool City Council has mapped out an ambitious programme of four ground-breaking, interlinked projects which would revolutionise the industry and have a multi-million-pound economic impact for decades to come.

The proposals are expected to be funded by private sector sources with Government support, with media giant Universal expressing their commitment to the concept.

The four projects are:

• The Music Futures Lab – this bespoke facility will bring together music businesses and musicians from across the creative and digital sectors to reimagine the way we all create, consume and experience music in the future. This new R&D lab would be the first of its kind in the UK, taking advantage of the opportunities AI and VR brings, and would build on – and future-proof – the incredible creative and digital sector which the city already boasts.

• MusicFutures Cluster – a mix of academic and private sector bodies creating the talent and training pipeline to make the most of the facilities which the music lab will offer. A Creative Cluster has already been established to kickstart this R&D in bringing together the music and creative industries.

• Immersive Liverpool – this fully immersive audio and visual visitor attraction will reimagine the way that audiences experience the music they love. A world first, this attraction will offer a rotating set of experience ‘residencies’ with the biggest music artists. Liverpool City Council is undergoing a site selection process and is in partnership with industry leaders to help develop the scheme.

• Recording and Rehearsal space – this space would become a new rehearsal home for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a leading national facility for emerging and established artists. This would be the only UK studio of its kind and capacity outside London – “the Abbey Road of the North” – and as well as boosting the city’s ability to offer recording facilities for musicians, TV, film and gaming, it would also provide first-class training, performance and rehearsal spaces all year-round for young people across the region.

Mayor Rotheram revealed the ambitious plans at a Creative UK event as part of the Labour Party conference in the city.

The draft business cases, funded by monies received from the DCMS, are to be presented to Government in the coming weeks with detailed plans expected to be announced in 2025 – 10 years after Liverpool was appointed a UNESCO City of Music.

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “Music is the heartbeat of Liverpool and for generations it has defined the city’s global appeal. The time has come to translate that heritage into an offer that shapes our future.

“We have ambitious plans to remix what it means to be a music city. These projects will help define and shape the next generation of talent and businesses and will increase the impact music can have on our communities and individuals from all walks of life.

“Our ‘Music 2030’ vision harnesses ambitious thinking and focused investment to turn music into a driver of social, economic and environmental advancement, with the sector becoming the backbone for new high-paying jobs, re-energising the music tourism sector and becoming a vanguard sector for positive environmental change.

“We have entered into a development relationship with Mercury Studios and Universal Music Group to help create the future of immersive music entertainment right here in Liverpool. The expertise and innovation of Mercury Studios will empower our own homegrown talent. This city is known for our incredible music heritage. Together, we will lean on that heritage to become the birthplace for a new form of music entertainment and create a digital future.

“I’m delighted with the progress made to date and super excited for what is to come. I look forward to further conversations with our partners and the Government on how we can develop and deliver these projects.”

Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, said: “The Liverpool City Region has always had music running through its veins—it’s part of who we are.

“We’re launching bold, groundbreaking projects that will remix the way music is made and experienced—right here in the heart of the UK.

“With cutting-edge technology like AI and VR, we’re creating opportunities for the next generation, making sure that Liverpool isn’t just a city with a rich musical history, but a global leader in the music of the future.

“This isn’t just business—it’s about giving young people the chance to thrive and putting our region back on the world stage.

“We’re setting the standard for what a music city should be in the 21st century.”

Culture Liverpool Director Claire McColgan said: “Liverpool is reimagining the role music plays in the regeneration of a city. By bringing musicians and the creative and digital industries closer together and building the facilities to make the most of our enviable talent pool, we believe this approach can be a driving force in positioning Liverpool as a music city remixed.

“These projects are at a really exciting stage, and we are now starting to get a sense of their scope and potential impact which could redefine what music means to Liverpool and to the rest of the country. We’re looking at a 10 year-plan to supercharge not just our visitor economy but the way that young people get access to the best music education in the world.

“It will give talented creative graduates a further reason to set up their business here. It’s taking music seriously as a catalyst for regeneration, both in terms of buildings and people.”

Michael Eakin, Chief Executive of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, said: “This centre, as part of Liverpool’s overall investment in – and development of – the music sector will be transformative for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and for young talent in the city. It will be a major regeneration driver in its location. It will provide economic growth for the city as part of the growing film, television and creative industries sector.

“It will help secure the long-term sustainability of one of the country’s most important and forward-looking orchestras and music organisations. And it will make Liverpool uniquely strong in delivering true creative education opportunities in music for children and young people across our communities.”