The Liverpool Walton Salvation Army Band are returning to the gardens at Strawberry Field as part of the Summer Sounds programme on the new Strawberry Field bandstand.

The Liverpool Walton band have a long history of playing at Strawberry Field and used to perform at The Salvation Army children’s home garden parties in the days when John Lennon visited the grounds.

Formed in 1885, the band has spent the last 140 years praising God through their instruments and delivering the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Liverpool. Today, the band is made up of 31 talented brass players, ranging in age from mid-teens to their 70’s.

This summer, Strawberry Field are delighted to be hosting an exciting line up of live music in the famous gardens - the place where John Lennon once sought sanctuary and experienced one of his earliest musical moments hearing The Salvation Army band play.

Continuing John Lennon’s legacy, the Summer Sounds programme is inspired by the nostalgic echoes of his childhood summers, where Salvation Army bands played at summer fetes in the famous gardens. Everyone is invited to bring families and friends to relive these moments by pulling up deckchairs and enjoying a summer-long celebration of music at the iconic Strawberry Field Bandstand. Once a children’s home, today the Salvation Army site is home to a visitor attraction with an interactive exhibition and garden tour, and youth training centre.

Visitors to Strawberry Field can discover the history of the Salvation Army and the original children’s home which once stood on the site and to explore John Lennon’s childhood and inspiration. The exhibition invites you to find out about the writing and recording of the Beatles’ hit ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, inspired by the time John Lennon spent playing in the Strawberry Field grounds as a boy.