Beatles' home city to mark Sgt Pepper's 50th anniversary

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM - A three-week long festival was announced on Wednesday in Liverpool to celebrate the release 50 years ago of the iconic album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The record, by the Beatles, has been hailed as the world's first art rock, with its cover one of the most recognizable ever produced.

Music industry experts have described Sgt Pepper's as one of the world's most influential albums of all time, also regarded as the best ever rock 'n' roll album.

Fans of the Beatles from across the world are expected to gather in Liverpool for the festival which runs from May 25 until June 16, with events taking place across the city.