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Mayor Steve Rotheram made a poignant visit to the scene of John Lennon’s murder before laying a floral tribute at a memorial to The Beatles legend.
The Liverpool City Region Mayor, a huge Beatles fan, visited the spot outside the Dakota Building where one of the city’s most famous sons was shot dead on the 8th December 1980. He then laid a red rose at the nearby Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon in Central Park.
Mayor Rotheram is leading a delegation to Boston and New York aimed at driving trade, inward investment and tourism to the city region, while exploring opportunities to build on shared histories and strengthen long-standing cultural links.
Joined by members of the delegation, he took time out from a packed business schedule to pay tribute to the star from Liverpool, ahead of a meeting in Central Park between music leaders from the city region and New York.
Mayor Steve Rotheram lays a red rose at the John Lennon Imagine memorial in Central Park, New York. The Mayor was leading a Liverpool City Region trade delegation to the US aimed at driving investment, innovation and tourism and strengthening cultural ties.
The two cities have had a profound influence on global popular music from The Beatles to the origins of rap, disco and the US punk scene.
Discussions centred around joint working on future initiatives, including promoting new talent and establishing twin events.
Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
“John Lennon’s legacy is woven into the fabric of Liverpool and the rest of the world. As we remember him, we reflect not only on his incredible contributions to music but also on the profound impact he has had on countless lives.
“The bond between Liverpool and New York is special; both cities have been absolutely pivotal in shaping the landscape of popular music. Together, we can honour John’s memory while forging new connections and opportunities that will inspire the next generation of artists.
“But as we continue to promote our rich cultural heritage, we also have to look ahead, ensuring we do all we can to nurture that spirit of collaboration and creativity that’s been so celebrated across the world.”
The Beatles had strong links with New York, which was the first place they landed in the US, in February 1964, before making their American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast live from New York. They later played an iconic concert at the city’s Shea Stadium in August 1965, that was turned into an acclaimed documentary film.
John Lennon moved to New York with his wife Yoko Ono in September 1971, weeks before the release of his iconic single ‘Imagine’.
The Mayor was visiting Strawberry Fields just two days after the 60th anniversary reissue of The Beatles ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ album in the UK, and only weeks after a video celebrating Liverpool’s rich heritage, dynamic arts scene and vibrant community spirit was streamed in New York’s world-famous Times Square.
After visiting the Strawberry Fields memorial, Liverpool’s UNESCO City of Music head Kevin McManus joined the Mayor to explore the potential for future collaborations with leading figures from the New York and US music industry.
Famous artists to emerge from New York include Madonna, Lady Gaga, Ella Fitzgerald, Simon and Garfunkel, Blondie, Talking Heads, Run DMC and The Velvet Underground.
Discussions included the possibility of twin music events in the cities, establishing an exchange scheme for music artists and ways in which Liverpool City Region could help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in 2026.
UNESCO City of Music Head Kevin McManus said:
“We are a UNESCO City of Music but that status doesn’t rest on our music heritage. We are always looking forward and have huge ambitions for the music sector – shown by our recent announcements including becoming the first United Nations Accelerator City.
“New York is one of the other great global cities and our visit has allowed us not only to share good practice and learn from each other but to explore how we could collaborate and work together in the coming years.”
Liverpool has a rich shared history with the United States and was the exit port for millions of people emigrating to North America during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
New York’s world-famous Central Park was inspired by designer Frederick Law Olmsted’s visit to Birkenhead Park on the Wirral, in 1850. Both parks are currently seeking World Heritage Status.
Mayor Rotheram was joined in New York by Culture Liverpool Director Claire McColgan CBE and National Museums Liverpool Director Laura Pye who delivered a lecture on ‘A transatlantic journey – Liverpool to New York’ at a special reception at the Museum of the City of New York aimed at strengthening cultural ties.
The city region delegation is in New York following a series of high-level meetings with civic, academic and business leaders in Boston to promote investment opportunities in Liverpool City Region’s health and life sciences, maritime, tourism and events sectors.
Mayor Rotheram visited Fenway Park and met Tom Werner, chairman of Boston Red Sox and FSG who have transformed Liverpool Football Club’s fortunes since taking over in 2010.
FSG and Liverpool FC chairman Tom Werner with Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Deputy Chief Executive Richard McGuckin at Boston Red Sox Fenway Park stadium during a trade mission to the US
Discussions focused on developing sports tourism and staging major events at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium following three sell-out Taylor Swift concerts in June 2024 that attracted more than 160,000 fans and added tens of millions of pounds to the city region’s economy. Liverpool is positioning itself as a prime destination for global events – with Dua Lipa, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen all announced for next year.
After New York, a smaller delegation will move to North Carolina for a series of meetings with business leaders, with a focus on the city region’s £5bn health and life sciences sector.
Accounting for a nearly a fifth of all exports, valued at £1.8bn of goods and services, the US is the Liverpool City Region’s biggest overseas market.
Total trade between the city region and the US is worth £2.5bn and Liverpool is the UK’s largest western-facing port, handling 45% of the UK’s trade from the US.
The US is also Liverpool City Region’s largest market for inward investment with US-owned companies investing £2.1bn into the local economy.
Meanwhile the US is the second most valuable source of international visitors to the Liverpool City Region and the third highest by number.
