It’s been fifty years since The Beatles released Abbey Road, and in honor of that anniversary, Los Angeles is attempting to emulate London’s famous street crossing of the same name, over which the beloved foursome once strolled.
On September 26, Hollywood & Vine becomes the ultimate Instagram stop. According to a Beatles/Universal spokesperson speaking with Variety, “the crosswalk will be recreated with a non-slip heavy vinyl recreation of Abbey Road’s zebra crossing laid down over the existing Vine St. crosswalk, with an eight-foot tall double-sided backdrop of four panels (two per side) showing the Abbey Road cover art photo without the Beatles in the image. There will be four Abbey Road zebra crossing + backdrop areas (two areas per side) for fans to take photos and videos.”
Abbey Road cover outtake / photo by Iain Macmillan
The temporary crosswalk unveiling takes place from 1 to 1:15 p.m. PST, along with a dedication for a permanent new City of Los Angeles sign at the Capitol tower. A free street party happens after that, on Vine Street between Hollywood Boulevard and Yucca Street.
Sir Patrick Stewart (for some reason—maybe because he’s a “sir”?) will join in the dedication ceremony, as will LA city council member Mitch O’Farrell and Board of Public Works President Kevin James. Additional attractions at the event include a Beatles pop-up shop curated by Amoeba Music, food trucks, and an as-of-yet unspecified “free, exclusive, commemorative takeaway item,” while supplies last. The celebration is intended to run until 3:30 p.m.
The fiftieth anniversary reissue of Abbey Road comes out this Friday, September 27. Get it here.
