Paul McCartney has played a surprise, tiny show in New York City. Check out footage, fan responses, and the full setlist below.
News of the last-minute gig were shared yesterday (February 11), just hours before the Beatles legend took to the stage at the 500-capacity venue, The Bowery Ballroom.
The gig – dubbed ‘Paul McCartney Rocks The Bowery – marked his first time playing near NYC in three years, with his last stint seeing him perform to an 82,000-strong crowd at the MetLife Stadium near New Jersey.
Taking to the stage at the beginning of his 100-minute-long set, McCartney said (via Independent): “So here we are… Some little gig. New York. Why not?”
The set began with the classic Beatles track ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, which was then followed by ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ and Wings’ tracks ‘Letting Go’ and ‘Let Me Roll It’. Solo tracks performed included ‘My Valentine’, ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ and ‘Come On To Me’, although the majority of the set was made up of Beatles hits.
‘Get Back’, ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Blackbird’, ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’, ‘Let It Be’ and more all made it into the setlist, as did the Liverpool band’s “final song” ‘Now And Then’.
“I can’t quite believe we’re here, doing this. But we are here, doing this,” McCartney is quoted as saying during the set. “I feel like letting go tonight, the Bowery. New York City! Yes, I do!”
Find footage and pictures from the event, as well as the setlist below.
Paul McCartney at the Bowery, NYC last night. What a treat that would have been pic.twitter.com/kmxHKGHcRG
— DUNMORE Analog (@dunmore_music) February 12, 2025
Paul McCartney arriving at The Bowery Ballroom NYC February 11 2025 pic.twitter.com/HqVvYcxpbY
— DIÁRIO DOS BEATLES (@Diario_Beatles) February 12, 2025
Paul McCartney leaving The Bowery Ballroom after the show NYC February 11 2025 *video jairzlr/instagram* pic.twitter.com/5JauiEmLpC
— DIÁRIO DOS BEATLES (@Diario_Beatles) February 12, 2025
Paul McCartney’s Bowery Ballroom setlist was:
‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (The Beatles)
‘Letting Go’ (Wings)
‘Got to Get You Into My Life'(The Beatles)
‘Let Me Roll It'(Wings)
‘My Valentine’
‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five’ (Wings)
‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
‘I’ve Just Seen a Face’ (The Beatles)
‘From Me to You'(The Beatles)
‘Mrs. Vandebilt’ (Wings)
‘Blackbird’ (The Beatles)
‘Come On to Me’
‘Jet’ (Wings)
‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da'(The Beatles)
‘Get Back’ (The Beatles)
‘Now and Then'(The Beatles)
‘Lady Madonna’ (The Beatles)
‘Let It Be’ (The Beatles)
‘Hey Jude'(The Beatles)
‘Golden Slumbers’ (The Beatles)
‘Carry That Weight’ (The Beatles)
‘The End (The Beatles)
This wasn’t the first time that the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has caught fans off-guard with a surprise show. Back in 1999, he put on a surprise set at the Mean Fiddler in London, in 2018 he broke out a tiny show in Grand Central Station for just 300 people which saw guest appearances from Meryl Streep, Kate Moss, Steve Buscemi and more – not to mention the iconic Beatles rooftop performance at the Apple Corps headquarters in London in 1969.
Upon news of the Bowery gig being shared yesterday, countless fans took to social media to share their eagerness to nab a ticket. “I would do unspeakable things to be able to see Paul McCartney at the Bowery Ballroom tonight,” one wrote on X/Twitter, while another added: “OH MY GOD. I NEED TO GET THERE. MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST.”
Find more fan responses below.
I would do unspeakable things to be able to see Paul McCartney at the Bowery Ballroom tonight
— dd (@dylanholmes93) February 11, 2025
PAUL MCCARTNEY IS HAVING A SHOW TONIGHT IN NYC I JUST BOUGHT A LYFT TO BOWERY BALLROOM. OH MY GOD. I NEED TO GET THERE. MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST. pic.twitter.com/i3y5Mfc82W
— peter lane (@peterlanee) February 11, 2025
if you are seeing Paul McCartney at The Bowery Ballroom I am just telling you right now that you have the once in a lifetime opportunity to start the first and possibly only ever mosh pit during “Helter Skelter”
just saying
— Illuminati’s Very Youngest (@VestaSweetwater) February 11, 2025
Not sure how to properly describe Paul McCartney’s Bowery Ballroom show. He began with Hard Days Night, ended with The Weight. He played Blackbird solo. He rocked the s*** out of Jet. I staggered out into the snow outside.
— Jake Coyle (@jakecoyleAP) February 12, 2025
currently on my way downtown to get a ticket for paul mccartney at the bowery only to read that they sold out 40 minutes ago… pic.twitter.com/efFm9e7f3A
— fi 🎹 (@phantomthr3ad) February 11, 2025
Congrats Paul. You still have it, plus it must feel fun being in a club atmosphere where it all started.
— Michael Walker (@Michael53732168) February 12, 2025
happy for those who got tickets! I was literally in my dentist’s chair and didn’t make the line!
— Jennifer Klopp (@jenkstarr) February 11, 2025
Paul McCartney is rumoured to play another surprise, intimate show in New York tonight (February 12), although details remain sparse at the time of writing.
In a review of last night’s performance, Variety noted that “both of the Max McNown concerts originally scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bowery have been moved uptown to the Irving Plaza”. Elsewhere, Setlist.FM currently lists a page for another Bowery gig for McCartney tonight.
Meanwhile, fans on social media are speculating that a second date is scheduled to be announced soon.
One person who attended last night’s show wrote on Reddit that they “did hear some people say that there may be other shows this week”, with Macca being in New York for the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special.
