Cavern Quarter in Liverpool in Merseyside, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

History of the Cavern

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 13, 2026

1. History of the Cavern Marker

Inscription. The Cavern first opened its doors in January 1957 as a Jazz club. The early emerging Skiffle bands in Liverpool were given a platform to play however, leading to John Lennon’s first band, The Quarrymen, playing here in August 1957. Many of these Skiffle groups eventually developed into out and out Rock & Roll beat groups. The Cavern’s first official “Beat” night took place on the 25th of May 1960, featuring Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, with Ringo Starr on drums. A change of ownership saw more of these nights taking place, and The Beatles, with Pete Best as drummer, made their debut on the 9th of February 1961 and went on to play a staggering 292 times. Their last show here was on the 3rd of August 1963, just as “Beatlemania” was taking hold across the UK.

Liverpool and the Cavern was now firmly on the world’s musical map with the whole “Mersey Beat” explosion, bands and artists such as The Searchers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer and of course, former Cavern cloakroom attendant, Cilla Black. Even though the club possessed few home comforts, its low ceiling and interlocking arches together with the pounding beat of the bands produced a magical atmosphere. After The Beatles, everyone wanted to play the Cavern, and they did; The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton…

The Cavern closed briefly early 1966, re-opening in the July with new owners after undergoing much needed improvements. The main entrance was moved to where we enter today. You would be surprised to read that the club didn’t even have a licence for alcohol until 1967! Notable bands to play the venue during this period included Queen, Status Quo, Focus and Suzy Quatro.

Sadly, the original Cavern closed on the 27th of May 1973 to make way for a ventilation shaft for the underground railway

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that was never built. A move over the road to the “new” Cavern proved unsuccessful, and the Cavern Club as we know it, was permanently closed in 1975. In the early 1980’s a plan to resurrect the Cavern took place and on the 25th of April 1984, the new, rebuilt Cavern opened, occupying around 75% of its original site and using many of the original Cavern bricks to build the arches that you see today. Importantly, it retained its original address of 10 Mathew Street.

The Cavern Club today is a major tourist destination as well as being a thriving, relevant live music venue playing host to both established and up and coming bands and artists. In recent years we have hosted memorable shows by Sir Paul McCartney (twice), Oasis, Adele, Elbow, Paul Rodgers, Travis, Arctic Monkeys, Bo Diddley, Donovan, The Coral, Jake Bugg, Jessie J, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Joe Bonamassa, Crowded House, Cheap Trick, James Bay, James Morrison, Sam Ryder, The Libertines and many more.

We hope you enjoy your visit to “The Most Famous Club in the World!”

Erected by The Cavern Club.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 13, 2026

2. History of the Cavern Marker

The marker is located at the entrance to the Cavern Club. During business hours, it is partially obscured by the open door.

Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the The Beatles series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 9, 1961.

Location. 53° 24.379′ N, 2° 59.272′ W. Marker is in Liverpool, England, in Merseyside. It is in the Cavern Quarter. It is on Mathew Street west of Temple Court, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Mathew St, Liverpool, England L2 6RE, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North West England.

Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to Eric's (a few steps from this marker); Eric's (a few steps from this marker); Liverpool's Wall of Fame (a few steps from this marker); The Blues Trail: From Mississippi to the British Isles (a few steps from this marker); Mississippi Blues Trail (a few steps from this marker); Liverpool & Memphis: Rock 'N' Soul Mates (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Eric’s (a few steps from this marker); The Cavern (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Liverpool.

Also see . . . The Swinging 60's: The Merseybeat boom is born (The Cavern Club).

Thursday 9 February 1961

The Beatles first performance at the Cavern Club featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe with Pete Best on drums. The Beatles soon established themselves as the Cavern Club’s signature act. It became the place where their musical identity was forged and many of their fans maintain the band
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 13, 2026

3. The Cavern Club
The current Cavern Club is a recreation of the original nightclub.
was its best during those lunchtime gigs, learning stagecraft through the exchanges with the audience only inches away. The band were always nostalgic about the Cavern.

(Submitted on October 11, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 11, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.