'Lennon Was Not Here' Filming Moves to La Laguna Next Wednesday
Filming for the Beatles-inspired mystery Lennon Was Not Here moves to La Laguna’s Doctor Zamenhoff Street on September 23, bringing temporary traffic and parking restrictions to the area.
Filming for the movie Lennon Was Not Here, directed by Tenerife native Juanma Villar Betancort, moves to La Laguna next Wednesday, September 23. According to Diario de Avisos, the crew will be working from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Doctor Zamenhoff Street. Parking will be restricted in the area between Antonio González and Heraclio Sánchez streets starting at 6:00 a.m., and residents should expect occasional traffic and pedestrian delays throughout the day.
Supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Tenerife Island Council, local municipalities, and Televisión Canaria, the film is a work of contemporary fiction rather than a traditional biography. It is based on a real historical event: the trip Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took to Tenerife in the spring of 1963. The film’s title refers to the fact that John Lennon stayed behind in Torremolinos with manager Brian Epstein. The plot centers on the mystery of what happened to the Beatles' bassist's famous Höfner 500/1 bass during the group's time on the island.
Director Villar Betancort frames the story as a detective mystery connecting Hamburg, Liverpool, and Tenerife. The film features a soundtrack including bands like Brighton 64 and Los Negativos, and draws on historical research—such as the work of historian Nicolás González Lemus and Jorge Fonte’s book From Me to You: The Beatles in Tenerife—to recreate the musicians' time exploring Mount Teide, Icod de los Vinos, and Puerto de la Cruz. It even touches on the band's near-performance with the Lido San Telmo orchestra.
To bring the story to life, the production uses period-accurate details, such as Klaus Voormann’s convertible car and recreated letters, to contrast the bright landscapes of the Orotava Valley with the grittier urban settings of Britain and Germany. With a release date planned for 2027, the film continues to highlight Tenerife as a vital backdrop for this musical adventure, revisiting one of the most intriguing chapters in pop history.