Opening-night set and crowd moment

Paul McCartney opened his 2025 tour with a full rendition of John Lennon’s “Help!,” a rare choice that set an intimate tone before a hit-packed set. The show leaned on Beatles and Wings staples—“Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude”—with refreshed arrangements and visuals. Reviewers noted the pacing: acoustic interludes balanced stadium-scale pyrotechnics, while McCartney’s band—now a well-oiled unit—kept transitions tight. The opener doubled as a nod to legacy and loss, drawing a long ovation from a sold-out crowd.

Industry read-through and what’s next

Promoters see the early response as proof that classic-artist tours remain tentpoles for arenas even as release cycles scatter across streaming. McCartney’s routing favors multi-night stands and festival tie-ins, a model that maximizes production quality and reduces travel strain. Merch focused on archival artwork suggests more catalog storytelling ahead, including restored video and Dolby Atmos mixes. With awards-season documentaries surfacing old footage, the live show’s archival moments felt newly resonant—an appeal likely to carry through international dates.