Will be visiting before the match on Monday.
Will massively miss the vibe of the Swan though.
The Swan Inn's new owners are keeping the pub exactly as is
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
'It won't be another Irish pub and we're keeping the jukebox'
The Swan Inn's new owners are keeping the pub exactly as is
19:50, 30 Apr 2026
Updated 19:50, 30 Apr 2026
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Dominic and Fiona Hornsby with General Manager Francis Harvey-Wilson at the Swan Inn in Liverpool city centre(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Legendary alternative pub The Swan Inn on Wood Street recently announced new ownership under Dominic and Fiona Hornsby, who also run The Bridewell in Campbell Square. As one of Liverpool's longest standing epicentres of alternative music and community, questions emerged as to whether the pub would remain hardcore or another Irish venue.
Known simply as
"The Swan" to regulars, the pub has stood since
Victorian times, opening its doors in 1898. At the crux of the street, parallel to the ever-popular Bold Street, it was once the starting point for drinkers and gig-goers heading to Wilsons and Sloanes –
later the Krazyhouse.
As the years went by and neighbouring venues closed their doors, The Swan remained, welcoming alternative crowds and music lovers of all ages to bask in its signature bright red glow.
The pub is now the last of its kind on the street, and is loved by customers and those who remember its colourful history, from the rows of classic motorbikes that gathered there in the 1970s and 80s, to the rock karaoke competitions of the mid-noughties.
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Dominic and Fiona Hornsby, new owners of the Swan Inn in Liverpool city centre(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Fears were raised for the future of the venue in May last year, when it went up for sale with Liverpool-based commercial property group Hitchcock Wright & Partners. Last week, the future of the pub was confirmed, taken over by
Dominic and Fiona Hornsby, who also run The Bridewell in Campbell Square.
Fiona confirmed the venue's atmosphere, legacy and iconic jukebox will remain untouched, so the rock-and-rollers won't have to say goodbye to one of their few homes.
She told the
ECHO: "We've not done an awful lot of change because we don't think it needs it. A little bit of a tidy up, changing some products around and that's kind of it because it's still The Swan. We hope everybody will come back because it is certainly unique.
"When we were buying it we very much wanted to keep it as is and not change it to another Irish pub."
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Dominic and Fiona Hornsby with General Manager Francis Harvey-Wilson at the Swan Inn in Liverpool city centre(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
The Thursday comedy night will be back next week in its regular time slot and the monthly alternative LGBT+ group meetup will once again have a place to call home. Fiona added: "We're just trying to figure out what else goes on and make sure everyone is happy."
All of the staff will retain their jobs, apart from the former general manager Nick who has moved on to enjoy his retirement. The Swan has recruited Denbigh Castle's manager Francis to take the reigns, who they say is "excited" as a lover of metal music.
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Fiona said: "I was a bit of a rockabilly when I was in my late teens to about 25 so we used to go to The Swan and Planet X. I know there's a lot of people from my era that still frequent this pub so that'll be quite fun to see."
From Friday, May 1, The Swan Inn will be business as usual and everyone is welcome to enjoy the venue as it's always been.
