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Studio II, Abbey Road Studios

Rock on! Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to the public

The legendary recording studio is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary

Ed Cunningham

It’s an age-old tradition, a rite of passage for Beatlemaniac Londoners. Get three mates, go down to Abbey Road, then hold up obscene amounts of traffic while trying to recreate The Beatles’ iconic 1969 zebra-crossing-straddling album cover.

But for a few very, very special days this week, music obsessives visiting Abbey Road will be able to do more than just infuriate local drivers. The legendary Abbey Road Studios , responsible for some of the greatest music recordings ever made, is opening its doors to the public. 

As many superlatives as I whip out, they don’t do Abbey Road justice. From The Beatles to Adele, Kanye West to Kate Bush, these studios, engineering booths and practice rooms have hosted music greats from across the generations and witnessed countless magical moments in pop and rock history.

And now, to celebrate the studios’ ninetieth anniversary, the public are being allowed inside. Ticket-holders will be treated to a 90-minute tour of the studios, including visits to the control rooms, three of its original recording rooms and the Studio Two Echo Chamber, learning about its history along the way.

Tickets are still available and can be bought from the Abbey Road: Open House website .

Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey R d, NW8 9AY. Aug 9-15. £100.

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Abbey Road Studios opens to the public this summer - here’s how to visit

does abbey road studios have tours

From The Beatles to Pink Floyd , Kate Bush to Oasis , and Radiohead to Sam Smith - Abbey Road Studios has seen some musical legends pass through its doors.

And now the iconic hallowed halls can be visited by the general public, who have been offered the chance to step inside Studio Two.

Over two weekends, the world’s most famous recording studio will open its doors in a series of lectures titled “Step Inside Abbey Road Studios ” and superfans are being urged to be quick to snap up the last tour available.

Beatles bigwigs Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew will host the series of exclusive talks. The pair - authors of “Recording the Beatles : The Studio Equipment and techniques used to Create Their Classic Albums,” will “delve into the past, present and future of the storied building” and tell some of the stories of what went on behind the scenes of recordings.

When are the Abbey Road Studios tours?

The tours are taking place across two weekends, on August 4, 5 and 6 and again on August 11, 12 and 13.

There are various times across these dates which sold out quickly, but this week - due to popular demand - the studio organisers have put on an additional session at midday on August 12.

Tickets available from here but are limited to only one date being available because of the high demand the event has seen.

Every single session is sold out, but the midday session on August 12 still has space, although it isn’t sure how long that will last. The session has been put on to try and make sure as many fans as possible can attend, with tickets costing £141.

50th Anniversary of The Beatles Abbey Road Album Cover

does abbey road studios have tours

Who recorded in Studio Two at Abbey Road?

One of the most famous studios at Abbey Road, Studio Two was one of the facility’s original three studios and was initially principally used by big bands to record jazz and swing music.

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It later became known as the home of British rock’n’roll during that music explosion, led by such artists as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and was immortalised by The Beatles recording in there as well as Pink Floyd .

Others to have recorded there include Kate Bush, Oasis, Adele, Ed Sheehan and Radiohead .

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Across two weekends, the world’s most famous recording studio will open its doors in a series of lectures titled ‘Step Inside Abbey Road Studios’

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Abbey Road Studios - Photo: Christie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images

A highly desirable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for music fans to visit the hallowed surroundings of Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios will be on offer in August.

Across two weekends, the world’s most famous recording studio will open its doors in a series of lectures titled Step Inside Abbey Road Studios . Tickets are now available for the lectures, which will take place, at multiple times on each day, on August 4,5, and 6, and August 11,12, and 13.

The series of exclusive talks will be led by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, the authors of the book Recording the Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums , published by Curvebender Publishing in 2006. They will delve into the past, present, and future of the storied building, telling the story of the iconic rooms, the legendary equipment, the talented engineers, and the renowned artists who have shaped music history and popular culture for more than 90 years.

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The studios opened with a performance of Sir Edward Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory on November 12, 1931. Studio Two was one of the facility’s original three studios, and was initially principally used by big bands to record jazz and swing music, and by smaller chamber ensembles. It was also much used for comedy records and became known as the home of British rock’n’roll during that music explosion, led by such artists as Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

Studio Two was then immortalized by The Beatles and Pink Floyd , among myriad others, and has continued to be on the very pulse of popular music, staging landmark recordings by such artists as Kate Bush , Oasis, Radiohead, Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Little Simz to name just a few.

Recording The Beatles was written over a period of a decade, and examined, in great detail, every piece of recording equipment used by the group during their sessions at Abbey Road. This included all microphones, outboard gear, mixing consoles, speakers, and tape machines, in a volume that was illustrated with hundreds of color photographs, charts, drawings, and illustrations.

Buy tickets for  Step Inside Abbey Road Studios .

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Take an Interactive Virtual Tour of Abbey Road Studios

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Abbey Road Studios is among the most famous recording studios in music history, and while music fans are no doubt familiar with the albums that came out of Abbey Road – the Beatles catalog, Dark Side of the Moon ,  The Bends , among many others – not many have actually seen the inside of the storied London studio itself. That is, until now.

For Inside Abbey Road , Google has teamed with the studio to present an in-depth, multimedia guided tour through the famed studios by combining the search engine’s Google Maps technology with YouTube videos, interactive exhibits and more.

“ Abbey Road Studios has been a hive of creativity and source of world-class recordings for more than 80 years,” Giles Martin, producer and the son of longtime Beatles collaborator George Martin, said in a statement. “The artists using the studios have sold countless millions of records and have helped create popular culture as we know it today. It’s an inspirational place and an honour for me to work there today. This collaboration with Google gives the outside world a great insight into the everyday workings of the studio and allows anyone to glimpse the magic that goes on inside the world’s most famous recording studio.”

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Upon “entering” Abbey Road Studios, virtual tourists are guided through the venue’s three main rooms – Studio One, Two and Three – with each stop punctuated by videos and audio of some of the music that has been created in each room. For example, a visit to Studio Two allows users to play around with vocal effects like the flanger and phaser or watch a video of Oasis recording Dig Out Your Soul in the same space, while Studio Three features performances by Sam Smith and a “Body and Soul” duet between Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse. Even Abbey Road’s “mirror room,” where drummers lay down their tracks, is represented.

“We’re always looking at how we can use technology to bring people closer to cultural icons and institutions around the world,” said Tom Seymour, the project lead from Google’s Creative Lab. “With Inside Abbey Road, we wanted to open the doors to the iconic music studio for anyone in the world to step inside and experience the stories, the sounds, the people and the equipment that make Abbey Road Studios what it is today.”

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Abbey Road Studios open for a behind-the-scenes tour – here’s how to get tickets

Abbey Road Studios opens its doors to the public this summer.

Beatles fans will have a rare opportunity to see where the band’s iconic album was recorded 50 years ago.

A limited tour titled “The Studios That Became Legend” begins on August 8, exactly 50 years after the album’s release and continues until the 18th.

The recording studio is generally closed to the public, so it’s a rare chance to see inside the place where some of the greatest albums of all time were created.

This, of course, includes The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” whose album cover featuring the four members crossing a zebra crossing has become one of the most imitated images in pop culture.

This is the band’s 11th studio album and it was released in 1969, reaching # 1 in the UK and US, it features the songs “Come Together”, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something” and has sold over 31 million copies.

Guests will have the chance to view Studio Two’s echo chamber as well as the control and conference room, the first taking place on August 8, exactly 50 years to the day since the Beatles took the iconic photo.

Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan will explore the studios’ legacy of innovation, from patenting stereo to inventing many recording techniques used today around the world.

They will also cover the studios’ experience with film music and show how they were used to record some of the greatest films ever made, including Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter films, The films The Hobbit and more. recently Black Panther.

Other notable artists who have recorded studio albums include Adele, Pink Floyd, Florence + The Machine, Lady Gaga, Oasis, Kate Bush, and Radiohead to name a few.

Find out how to get tickets when they go on sale this week below.

How to get tickets

They will go on general sale at 10 a.m. on Friday April 12 on www.seetickets.com.

Tickets are £ 120 and include access to Studio Two and a lecture.

Tours are available August 8-18 with different entrance times to choose from.

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Tour Abbey Road Studios with Google’s new website

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Abbey Road Studios entrance

Photo by: Abbey Road Institute

Google is throwing open the doors to London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios with a new interactive website.

‘ Inside Abbey Road ‘ lets you roam the Grade II-listed building as if you were there, play with equipment via interactive gadgets and watch clips of everything from Elgar and the London Symphony Orchestra opening the studios in 1931, to Jay Z discussing his Magna Carta album.

Throughout the former Georgian townhouse, there are more than 150 different 360-degree panoramic images for exploring the building in minute detail. Using navigation similar to Google Street View and Google Cultural Institute , you can wander from studio to studio, ‘standing’ in the space where The Beatles recorded their albums.

Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios

Tom Seymour, project lead from Google’s Creative Lab, says: ‘With Inside Abbey Road, we wanted to open the doors to the iconic music studio for anyone in the world to step inside and experience the stories, sounds, people and equipment that make Abbey Road Studios what it is today.’

The studios haven’t always had it so good, however. In 2010 it was reported that EMI was putting the building up for sale , due to mounting debt, and developers were circling to turn it into flats. Soon after, EMI released a statement that it would be keeping the studios under their current ownership , and a national heritage listing secured their future.

Now they can be explored by people across the world.

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  • Tour Abbey Road Studios with Google's new website

does abbey road studios have tours

Inside Abbey Road: behind the scenes at the world's most famous studios

Take a tour of the legendary recording facility

Step inside

Ask anybody - the layman or the veteran producer - to name a world- famous recording studio, and one answer will trump all others almost every time. Abbey Road Studios has a reputation higher than all others, and for good reason: The Beatles , Pink Floyd, the LSO, Oasis , Genesis, Radiohead - it all happened here. And there’s a zebra crossing nearby, apparently.  

It’s clear that Abbey Road Studios doesn’t just rely on its heritage, however - it’s also determined to keep an eye on the future; by nurturing music tech start-ups via the Abbey Road Red program; developing plugin replicas of classic Abbey Road and EMI gear with revered developer Waves; and through the opening of two new modern studio rooms: The Gatehouse and The Front Room.

In this gallery, Abbey Road’s Head of Products Mirek Stiles gives you an all-access tour and history lesson that covers the five main studios. Take in the orchestral grandeur of Studio One , retread the steps of the Fab Four in the much-documented Studio Two, and explore Abbey Road’s two newest facilities.

“This is where it all began, with the opening ceremony in 1931 with Sir Edward Elgar and the LSO, who performed Land of Hope and Glory. They did it very differently back then, with grand art deco up the walls, bare bricks... it looked cool but didn’t sound great - they didn’t nail the sound first time like they did with Studio Two.  

“There was a stage at the back - the idea was to recreate a concert hall. They were still finding their feet with what a recording studio should and shouldn’t be, so there was a stage and they put chairs out and invited people to watch as though it was a concert! A very different approach to today...  

“There was dissatisfaction with the sound [in here], so they started playing around with the acoustics a bit more. They reached the stage we’re at now in 1975; it’s now got a wonderful, big sound, and we wouldn’t touch it for love nor money!

“It was originally designed with classical music in mind, and that was predominantly what this room was used for until the mid-’70s. By then, most of the repertoire had been done and released on vinyl. When the CD kicked off, people were going back in the studio and re-recording everything again! But at the point in between, we were a bit stuck. People were playing badminton and five-a-side football in here - everything apart from using it as a studio!

People were playing badminton and five-a-side football in here - everything apart from using it as a studio!

“There were plans to turn it into four separate pop studios, as pop studios were sprouting up all over London. Luckily, that didn’t happen, as Ken Townsend (the GM at the time) said it was a historic room and there had to be another way. There was a film scoring facility called Anvil who were losing their scoring stage; their lease was up. They’d recorded Alien there, the Star Wars films, and James Bond. So Ken said, ‘Why don’t you bring the clients, the projection equipment and the films here, and we’ll provide the space, engineers and mics?’ Like a joint venture!  

“The first film we did here was Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, and then it snowballed from there. Good ol’ Ken found a way! And to this day we’re still doing loads of film scores in here. Loads of classics have been done here over the years: Aliens, Return of the Jedi, the Harry Potters, Lord of the Rings, the Bourne films, Willow, Brazil - it just keeps going! Certain composers just love this room and will only record in this room.  

“Film sessions are different beasts to pop sessions. We have a big projector at the back of the room; the lights go down and each musician has their own little lamp, so it’s really vibey and it looks great.”

Studio One - control room

“The control room has changed a lot over the years. In the 1930s it was a different small room, as they were cutting straight to disc. This was before tape was invented, so you had two options: stop and start! So if anyone messed anything up, you had to do the whole thing again, and you couldn’t edit anything. A guy in a white lab coat standing there; no seats!  

“As sessions got more complicated, they needed a bigger space - especially for film jobs where you’ve got surround sound, a 100-odd-piece orchestra... you need a large console to capture that orchestra. This [console] is the Neve 88R, with 7.1 surround sound, three or four different Pro Tools rigs, a record rig, a playbacks rig, prerecord rig, then a video rig... there’s a lot going on, and it all needs to be in sync.  

“72 channels sounds crazy, but it gets eaten up pretty quickly! Everyone needs separate headphone feeds, you’ve got to pipe out the dialogue and sound effects, and often you do playbacks with music, dialogue and effects, and the director wants to hear how the music’s balancing against it all - we don’t want to lose the dialogue, so there’s a lot of checking that the music’s not overwhelming everything else. It’s a lot to consider.”  

Know the score

“It’s so important to get that balance right at the recording stage. So much so that a lot of film stuff is now done in stems or layers; so you might do the strings first of all, then the brass, then the percussion separately. When the director is in the final dub, let’s say the brass is completely overwhelming the dialogue, he can just push it back, or get rid of it entirely if needed. It’s that thing about decisions being made - if you’ve got so much going on in a film soundtrack, you need that control, as the story’s so important. The score has to enhance, not block anything.  

“I remember working with Alan Parker who did Midnight Express in Studio Three. When he mixed that, he had three faders: mono dialogue, mono music and mono sound FX, and that was it! You had more, or less - those were your two options! Now you have hundreds of channels! It’s funny how things have changed.  

“A lot of important clients for us are video game clients. Their budgets are almost as impressive as film budgets these days. Long gone are the days of 8-bit sounds coming out of a ZX Spectrum! It’s phenomenal - they’re essentially movie scores, but a lot longer, due to the amount of music that needs to be recorded. That kicked off around 1998 for us with Tomb Raider. Actually, the first game recordings we did here were football commentators doing voiceovers for Pro Evolution Soccer!”  

“This is the most famous room. Along with Studio One, this has been here since the opening in 1931. To set the scene, we just walked through a house, and that’s what it was when EMI bought it in 1928. The idea was for it to be the world’s first purpose-built recording studio, which was a huge deal back then - no one had done it before. They bought 3 Abbey Road, and Studio One was its garden. Studio Two is next door’s garden. It took them three years to build.  

“Unlike Studio One and Three, this room hasn’t changed much over the years - they nailed the dark art of acoustics first time round. This was more for swing bands, big bands, smaller chamber ensembles. A lot of comedy records were done here in the early ‘50s. Then when rock ’n’ roll kicked off in the mid ‘50s - Cliff Richard and The Shadows, that kind of stuff - this room became known as The Rock ’n’ Roll Room. The Beatles did 90% of their recordings in here, The Hollies, The Zombies. It’s one of those rooms that sounds great whatever you throw at it: an orchestra, drums, vocals, whatever. It’s a nice middle ground between the orchestral sound of Studio One and the smaller Studio Three. A lot of bands come in: we’ve had Florence and the Machine, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Muse... the list goes on!”  

Toying with tech  

“When tape machines came in and desks got bigger, they decided to move the control room upstairs. There aren’t many studios split like this - back in the day, the recording engineer and producer stayed up there, the band stayed down here, and the two shall not cross! It was really The Beatles who broke down those boundaries, as they were interested in the tech and what you could do up there in the control room – and with George Martin getting involved down here, it paved the way for the way it’s done today.  

“There are so many iconic instruments around! There’s a celeste here that was used on Tubular Bells, Pink Floyd and, more recently, Harry Potter.  

“Stuart Eltham, one of the first pop engineers here, was trying things out that have never been done before. He wanted a different piano sound, so he got its hammers lacquered to get a hard ‘metallic’ sound, then slightly detuned for a chorusing effect. Those guys were inspirational - the first generation of engineers putting their necks out and risking embarrassment!”  

Studio Two - control room

“We refurbished Studio Two’s control room about a year or two ago. It used to be a bit smaller. We’ve now added a couple of booths and a machine room, as the Pro Tools rigs used to sit at the back of the room and it was a bit noisy. We’ve opened it out and made it more comfortable. A lot of rock and pop stuff goes on in here, but film sessions too, which are busy, so we need to make it comfortable.”  

Studio Three

“This has been here since the beginning as well. This is where they used to do radio shows, smaller chamber stuff, and it eventually became a pop studio as well - The Beatles recorded Revolver in here, all of [Pink Floyd’s] Wish You Were Here, a bit of Dark Side of The Moon, and more recently Kanye West and Frank Ocean. Amy Winehouse did her last ever recording here.  

“Out of the three main studios, this is the one that’s completely changed - it’s unrecognisable from what it was. In the 1980s, when MIDI came along, and a lot more was being done in control rooms - the trend was to have a bigger control room and a smaller recording space. We didn’t have a modern space like that back then - Studio One and Studio Two are what they are - so it was decided to divide this up and have a larger control room. This was done in the late ‘80s by Sam Toyoshima, who was the acoustic guy back then, who did a lot of the big studios around the world. It’s still the same today!”

Classic gear  

“Kit-wise, we have a big J Series SSL desk in here. Before that, we had the G Series. It was expected you had an SSL desk for pop music back then. They’re still great desks, which is why we still have one! There’s this classic TG sidecar, looking like a ‘50s cockpit. Lots of outboard, the old classics: old AMSs, LA-2As, Fairchild 660s, Pultecs - it’s great to use this older gear to add colour before you hit the 1s and 0s. It’s one thing to have it, but it’s another thing to look after it and maintain it, and make sure it works when needed. The monitors in here are big Questeds, if you want to crank your mix and hear what it sounds like in Ministry of Sound. When Kanye was here, he had it cranked ridiculously loud... it was unbearable in here!  

“Sonically, it’s a versatile studio. Drums sound fantastic in here; we do a lot of quartets; overdubs for pop stuff - it sounds good no matter what you throw at it. Plus, it’s a self-contained studio  

- there’s a flat upstairs with kitchen, shower and lounge if you want to lock yourself away from the real world. Bring in a chef, if you like!

“In the live room, we can change the acoustics in here by flipping panels around, from porous to reflective if you want a softer sound. This used to be a mirrored room - it was the ‘80s, so Sam Toyashima decided we needed a lot of mirrors in here! It was a bit of a novelty, and had a certain sound (in fact, we had to screen up all the mirrors so we didn’t get reflections!), but didn’t get used much, so we did the sensible thing and divided it up into booths.”  

The Front Room

“This used to be a remastering room, and we flipped it around. It’s funny how stuff swaps around over the years! It’s running an SSL Duality, nice bits of outboard from Chandler, Neve, Manley and Universal Audio. Also a few 500 Series: couple of Little Devils, APIs, and a TG. The engineers love using the analogue gear, of course, but they love to use the plugins, too. The most important thing is the musician, right? Then the acoustics, microphone, then what you put into the microphone - it’s all essential.”  

The Gatehouse

“This building used to be the garage for the main house - we found some old photos of 1940s cars stored in here! Then, later on, it became a classical editing room. We’ve opened it out and up, and turned it into the Gatehouse studio. There’s a lovely new Neve in here, great outboard, a few synths. The big studios are fantastic if you need room for an orchestra, but this is more compact and ‘real world’. Obviously there’s Studio One, Two and Three on one end of the scale, then on the other end you’ve got online mastering and mixing, so we wanted to bridge the gap between these two. And people expect certain instruments and bits of outboard!”

Designing the studio 

“It’s got a nice little vibe to it: relaxing, creative, comfortable and modern. Comfort is important. We were conscious about creating the right vibe with these rooms. I checked out many other small rooms - most were very grungy and hadn’t had any love. We didn’t want to go down that route, but we didn’t want to go too posh. I wouldn’t say the other rooms are intimidating, but this has a totally different vibe. It’s a nice stepping stone if you have a home studio - just a step up with better equipment and the right engineers. We’re really proud of it!  

“Then there’s a nice live area. Lovely upright Yamaha Transacoustic piano. Fender Rhodes, a few amplifiers, drums, and more.”  

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Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios - britishheritage.org

The Harmonic Legacy of Abbey Road Studios: A Landmark of British Cultural Heritage.

Foundational Notes: Establishing Abbey Road Studios

The birth of a sound revolution, a studio iconised by the beatles, pioneers of sound engineering, a cinematic symphony: film scoring at abbey road, the 21st century: adaptation and survival, educating the next generation: abbey road institute, conclusion: an enduring legacy.

  • Abbey Road Studios en.wikipedia.org

Abbey Road Studios is opening for a behinds the scene tour - here's how to get tickets

Fans of The Beatles will get the chance to see where their iconic album was created

  • 14:35, 11 APR 2019

does abbey road studios have tours

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Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to the public this summer.

Fans of The Beatles will have a rare opportunity to see where the group's iconic album was recorded 50 years ago.

A limited tour entitled 'The Studios That Became a Legend' launches on August 8, exactly 50 years on from the album's release and runs until 18.

The recording studio is usually closed to the public so this a rare chance to see inside the place where some of the biggest albums of all time were created.

This, of course, includes 'Abbey Road' by The Beatles who's album cover which features the four members walking across a zebra crossing has become one of the most imitated images in pop culture.

It's the group's 11th studio album and was released in 1969, reaching the number one spot in the UK and US, features songs 'Come Together', 'Here Comes the Sun' and 'Something' and has sold more than 31 million copies.

does abbey road studios have tours

Guests will have a chance to see the Studio Two Echo Chamber as well as the Control Room and lectures, with the first taking place on August 8, exactly 50 years to the day since The Beatles took the iconic photograph.

Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan will explore the studios' legacy of innovation from the patenting of stereo to the invention of numerous recording techniques used across the globe today.

They'll also cover the studios' experience in film scoring and demonstrate how they've been used to record some of the biggest movies ever made including Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter films, The Hobbit movies and more recently Black Panther.

Other notable artists who've recorded albums at the studio include Adele, Pink Floyd, Florence + The Machine, Lady Gaga, Oasis, Kate Bush and Radiohead to name a few.

Find out below how to get tickets when they go on sale this week.

How to get tickets

They go on general sale at 10am on Friday, April 12 from www.seetickets.com.

Tickets are priced at £120 and include access to Studio Two and a lecture.

The tours are available from August 8-18 with different entry times to choose from.

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Take a tour of Abbey Road Studios

A tour around the historic, epic, and incredible Abbey Road Studios.

does abbey road studios have tours

On a recent trip to London, I got a chance to tour storied speaker company B&W's factory. They asked if I'd also like to tour Abbey Road Studios .

Yes. Yes I would.

And I did. It was awesome and I have pictures.

This is the first of three behind-the-scenes tours I did on my recent UK trip. Also check out storied speaker company B&W's factory , and electronics and speaker manufacturer Meridian Audio .

Abbey Road is probably the most famous recording studio in the world. The artists who've recorded there reads like a who's who of the great acts of the 20th and 21st centuries: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Adele, Queen, Oasis, Radiohead, and many more. The zebra crossing in front was immortalized by Iain Macmillan for the cover of the Beatles album that gave the studio its name.

Abbey Road Studios Tour (pictures)

does abbey road studios have tours

What's shocking, perhaps, is that for a building with such an incredible musical history, it doesn't look like much from the outside. In fact, it looks like a pretty boring and basic house, which of course it was originally.

It is amusingly bigger on the inside, extending back throughout the lot. Inside is one of the largest recording spaces in the world (Studio One), along with the iconic Studio Two (where the Beatles recorded most of their catalog), and the smaller but no less important Studio Three (Pink Floyd's home for "Dark Side of the Moon" and others).

Narrow corridors, stairwells, and tiny rooms fill out the interstitial spaces, and in many, magic happened as well as artists pushing the boundaries of what was technically possible, used every space they could to get the sound in their head, onto the rolling magnetic tape.

Check out the gallery for the full tour.

Geoff outside Abbey Road Studios

My thanks to B&W for setting this up, and to David Allen for his fantastic and informative tour.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of  cool museums and locations around the world , including  nuclear submarines ,  massive aircraft carriers ,  medieval castles , epic  10,000 mile road trips , and more. Check out  Tech Treks  for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a  bestselling sci-fi novel  about city-size submarines, along with a  sequel . You can follow his adventures on  Instagram  and his  YouTube channel .

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Morgan wallen abbey road sessions, create your own history, record in the gatehouse and front room.

Making the magic of Abbey Road more accessible to a new generation of artists are our two new studios, designed as more intimate creative spaces. Recent sessions include Maverick Sabre , Jorja Smith , Emeli Sande , Ella Eyre , JP Cooper , Nile Rodgers & CHIC , Noel Gallagher and Novelist . Discover more.

Unlock the expertise of Abbey Road’s award winning mastering team.

Get your music mastered by Abbey Road's Grammy-award winning engineers from just £100 per track . Our engineers are responsible for mastering the records of Fontaines D.C. , Radiohead , Bjork , The Beatles , Slowthai , Sade , ABBA , Florence + The Machine , Krept & Konan , Johnny Marr , Yussef Dayes , Roxy Music , New Order , Marvin Gaye , Amy Winehouse and The Rolling Stones .

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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Abbey Road

Abbey road ultimate guide.

Abbey road was originally nothing more than a thoroughfare along Northwest London that most people used just to reach the Lord’s Cricket Ground. However, in 1969, when one of Britain’s most famous rock bands The Beatles shot one of their album artworks there, the place became a significant symbol/monument. Now, people from all over the world stop by this location to take pictures of themselves imitating the famous artwork where the four band members are walking straight across the crossing, one of them (Paul) barefoot.

Just ahead of the crossing is the famous Abbey Road studios where The Beatles recorded most of the music they created from 1962 to 1970 at. In addition, The Beatles named the last album they ever recorded after the road in front of their studio, Abbey Roads, hence the artwork they took at the same location. Taking this into appreciation, initially named EMI studios, the studio changed its name to Abbey Road studios that has now become the landmark for producing so many legendary music by artists such as Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and so on.

Nowadays Abbey Road is a busy spot for music fans and there are many free walking tours in London covering this pop culture landmark. If you want to see Abbey Road during your next trip to London, take a look at this guide to make the most of your trip!

does abbey road studios have tours

Abbey Road Highlights

The highlight of Abbey Road is definitely the famous crossing. There are many stories that circulate behind this artwork as does anything involving The Beatles does. However, there is one interesting story that many guides running free Beatles tours share, and it articulates how the band was close to breaking up. According to that story, even in the process of recording The Beatles could not  stand each other’s presence that they simply decided to name the album after their recording  studio and take the photo for the artwork in the road in front of the studio.

does abbey road studios have tours

The accuracy of this story is still unknown but when you reach Abbey Road, you feel the spirit of the Beatles still alive  in the spot. Afterall, the Beatles were not just a rock band that produced music. They were an iconic figure of the century, leaving their marks on changing the definition of music itself not to mention also fashion, politics and society. Why not step into the shoes of your own favorite Beatles member for a day by standing along his part in the Abbey Road?

Besides getting your photo taken at the crossing, there is also an Abbey Road shop right next to the studio where fans can find souvenirs that can only be purchased there. The products on sale here are not only Beatles related, but also allow you to learn more about the many musicians who were involved in creating the legacy that Abbey Road studio is famous for today.

does abbey road studios have tours

Special Tips

does abbey road studios have tours

Getting There

Visiting abbey road.

When you’re visiting Abbey Road, do try to go in the mornings when there are less people, groups in free tours, and mobile cars. Don’t forget, it is just a side walk but it is “The Beatles’ sidewalk”. For Beatles fans, this is definitely the holy land. In the afternoon, the place will be filled with tourists and fans all aiming for the same shot. On the other hand, we cannot forget that this is a road still in use.

Nothing is worse than getting ‘your moment’ photobombed by an unfamiliar truck or getting scolded at by impatient drivers. This is why I repeatedly stress to go in the mornings!

If you want to see more attractions, you can take a look at the free tours in London that depart every day.

does abbey road studios have tours

Free Tours in Your Language

COMMENTS

  1. Abbey Road Studios

    The Beatles used Abbey Road Studios during the 60's and 70's for their recordings. The made the Zebra Crossing outside famous worldwide and now the Crossing and Studios are now a major tourist attractions . This was my first visit although I have visited London more than any other city. Written March 3, 2020.

  2. Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to the public

    The legendary Abbey Road Studios, responsible for some of the greatest music recordings ever made, ... Ticket-holders will be treated to a 90-minute tour of the studios, including visits to the ...

  3. Abbey Road to open its doors to the public this summer: your chance to

    The so-called Abbey Road: Open House tour will enable you to explore all three of the famous recording rooms - which have hosted the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Oasis, Kanye West, Adele and Frank Ocean - and you'll hear the stories that have helped to create the Abbey Road legend.. If you're a musician, you'll be keen to feast your eyes on the gear, too: the likes of the EMI TG MK3 ...

  4. The Studios

    Abbey Road Studios. 3 Abbey Road. London. NW8 9AY. UK. Please note that Abbey Road is a working studio and business and as such, is not open to the general public for visits or tours. For information on vacancies and internships in the UK, please visit the Universal Music website.

  5. Abbey Road Studios opens to the public this summer

    When are the Abbey Road Studios tours? The tours are taking place across two weekends, on August 4, 5 and 6 and again on August 11, 12 and 13.

  6. Abbey Road Offers Chance To 'Step Inside' Its Hallowed Studio Two

    A highly desirable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for music fans to visit the hallowed surroundings of Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios will be on offer in August. Across two weekends, the world ...

  7. FEATURE: Magical Mystery Tours: A Glimpse Inside the Iconic Abbey Road

    The Abbey Road: Open House tour comes as part of the recording studio's 90th anniversary celebrations this year. From 9 to 15 August, fans will be able to visit all three famed recording studios, in which the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Oasis, Ed Sheeran and Adele have recorded. ... We have heard about Abbey Road Studios, but ...

  8. Take an Interactive Virtual Tour of Abbey Road Studios

    April 15, 2015. A screenshot from Google's new interactive virtual tour of Abbey Road Studios. Abbey Road Studios is among the most famous recording studios in music history, and while music fans ...

  9. Abbey Road Studios open for a behind-the-scenes tour

    Abbey Road Studios opens its doors to the public this summer. Beatles fans will have a rare opportunity to see where the band's iconic album was recorded 50 years ago. A limited tour titled "The Studios That Became Legend" begins on August 8, exactly 50 years after the album's release and continues until the 18th.

  10. Tour Abbey Road Studios with Google's new website

    Google is throwing open the doors to London's iconic Abbey Road Studios with a new interactive website. 'Inside Abbey Road' lets you roam the Grade II-listed building as if you were there, play with equipment via interactive gadgets and watch clips of everything from Elgar and the London Symphony Orchestra opening the studios in 1931, to ...

  11. Abbey Road Studios

    Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, Greater London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, which owned it until Universal Music Group (UMG) took control of part of it in 2013. It is ultimately owned by UMG subsidiary ...

  12. Inside Abbey Road: behind the scenes at the world's most famous studios

    Step inside. Ask anybody - the layman or the veteran producer - to name a world- famous recording studio, and one answer will trump all others almost every time. Abbey Road Studios has a reputation higher than all others, and for good reason: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, the LSO, Oasis, Genesis, Radiohead - it all happened here.

  13. Abbey Road Studios

    In March 2015, the Abbey Road Institute was established, offering global education in music production and audio engineering. The institute perpetuates Abbey Road Studios' legacy, educating the next generation of sound engineers and producers in the spirit of its illustrious predecessors. Conclusion: An Enduring Legacy Abbey Road Studios is ...

  14. Abbey Road Studios to open for behinds the scene tour

    Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to the public this summer. Fans of The Beatles will have a rare opportunity to see where the group's iconic album was recorded 50 years ago. A limited tour entitled 'The Studios That Became a Legend' launches on August 8, exactly 50 years on from the album's release and runs until 18.

  15. Abbey Road, London

    A visit to the iconic zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios is a must for any Beatles fan visiting London. With this 2.5-hour walking tour, you'll not only get chance for a photo op along Abbey Road, but you'll see Paul McCartney's home in St. John's Wood, Marylebone Station, Ringo Starr's former home, and many other Beatles-related sites.

  16. Take a tour of Abbey Road Studios

    A tour around the historic, epic, and incredible Abbey Road Studios. Geoffrey Morrison. Sept. 17, 2013 2:00 p.m. PT. 2 min read. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET. On a recent trip to London, I got a chance ...

  17. The definitive story of Abbey Road Studios is out now

    Brought to you by Penguin Books and author David Hepworth with a foreword by Paul McCartney, the book is filled with amazing moments from our 90 years of history as a creative hub. The definitive story of Abbey Road Studios is out now . "Many people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its ...

  18. Abbey Road Studios

    The tickets are £120 each for full access to the studios and a two hour lecture about the history of Abbey Road, I have been twice and it is a memorable day. The thing is, the studios are working studios with artist recoding there every day so access to the working areas are not normally permitted.

  19. Take a Virtual Tour of the Legendary Abbey Road Recording Studios

    But now, thanks to a collaboration with Google, you can take a virtual tour of the main studios 1, 2, and 3, and the Mastering Suite. Inside Abbey Road is Google's latest interactive Street View ...

  20. The Most Famous Recording Studios

    Abbey Road Studios | 3 Abbey Road | St. John's Wood London NW8 9AY | tel: +44 (0)20 7266 7000 Abbey Road Studios, a business name of Virgin Records Limited. Registered in England no. 01070953. Registered office: 4 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG

  21. Abbey Road Studios

    On the 12th August 2018 me and two friends visited Abbey Road Studios as part of the Studios tour/lecture events. We'd booked tickets months prior to the big day and were like children waiting for Christmas. We'd driven down 200 miles from Huddersfield and were treated like royalty from the get-go.

  22. The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Abbey Road

    Getting There. Address: 3 Abbey Rd, London NW8 9AY, United Kingdom. By Tube: The nearest underground station to Abbey Road is St John's Wood station along the Jubilee line. Cross the main road in front of the station and take a 5 minute walk along Grove End Road. Then, you will find the road leading to a junction with Abbey Road.

  23. Abbey Road Studios

    The Abbey Road Studios lectures are an annual event so I guess it will be August next year when they do the open days again. The tickets are £120 each for full access to the studios and a two hour lecture about the history of Abbey Road, I have been twice and it is a memorable day.