• 🏠 Home
  • »
  • Live
  • »
  • The Beatles live: Town Hall, Dunedin, New Zealand

The Beatles live: Town Hall, Dunedin, New Zealand

The Beatles’ flight from Auckland to Dunedin on 26 June 1964 was marred by a bomb scare before take-off. An anonymous tip-off suggested a ‘germ bomb’ had been placed on board the aeroplane, causing an anxious flight for the passengers.

Fortunately there were no problems, and their aeroplane was greeted by thousands of fans at Dunedin International Airport. One again, however, the police presence was inadequate for coping with The Beatles’ popularity, with only three officers allocated to the New City Hotel where they were staying.

The police had left just a three-foot hole in the barrier outside the hotel, and The Beatles only managed to escape from the fans thanks to the assistance of their road crew Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans. John Lennon lost a clump of hair in the struggle and Paul McCartney’s face was scratched.

Once, in New Zealand, it was a bit rough, too, and I thought a big clump of my hair had definitely gone; and I don’t mean just a bit. I was halfway on the ground and I thought, ‘Hello, it must be like a raid when you get crushed.’ They’d put about three policemen on patrol for about three or four thousand kids and refused to put any more on: ‘We’ve had all sorts here. We’ve seen them all.’ And they did see them all – as we crashed to the ground!
John Lennon, 1964
Anthology

In the evening The Beatles performed two concerts at Dunedin’s Town Hall, each of which was seen by 4,000 fans. They were The Beatles’ only live shows in the city.

The Beatles on stage in Dunedin, New Zealand, 26 June 1964

Last updated: 24 January 2024
US album release: A Hard Day's Night
The Beatles live: Majestic Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand
Also on this day...

Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.

Latest Comments

  1. oldfannz Saturday 11 November 2023
  2. oldfannz Monday 13 November 2023
  3. oldfannz Tuesday 14 November 2023

Leave a Reply