The Beatles live: Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn

This was The Beatles’ second show in Wales, following a performance at the Regent Dansette, Rhyl on 14 July 1962.

They played a two-hour set at the Royal Lido Balroom in Prestatyn, north Wales, supported by Jack Ellis and the Autocrats. Before taking to the stage The Beatles were given a plate of jam sandwiches by the lido’s head chef, Alan Veech.

Tickets cost six shillings, and The Beatles were paid a fee of £30. Joe Flannery, a close friend of Brian Epstein’s, was responsible for booking bands at the venue; The Beatles were the first group he signed up.

The Beatles’ contract stipulated that they should not perform within a 10-mile radius of the ballroom in the 10 weeks leading up to the concert.

AN AGREEMENT made this 29th day of August, 1962, between J. Flannery, hereinafter called the management of the one part and Brian Epstein Esq., hereinafter called the Artiste of the other part.

WITNESSETH tha the management hereby engages the Artistes and the Artistes accepts the
engagement to present the act known as “THE BEATLES” at the Ballroom and from the dates
for the periods and at the salaries stated in the schedule hereto upon and subject to the terms and conditions of Schedule 1 of the ordinary form of contract contained in the award of Mr. A.J. Ashton, K. dated 22nd September 1919.

Schedule

The Artiste agrees to appear at one evening performance at a salary of £30-0d. (Thirty pounds) on
Saturday, November 24th 1962. At the Royal Lido, Prestatyn, N. Wales, commencing at 8-0pm.

The Artistes will not be required to play for more than a total of 2 1/2 hours in two separate sessions.

Additional Clauses.

1. The said Artistes will not appear within a ten mile radius 10 weeks prior to the engagement.

We the undersigned have read and understood the above schedule and additional clauses and agree to adhere to same in
detail.

Signature: {Brian Epstein}

Address: NEMS Enterprises Limited. 12-14 Whitechapel, Liverpool 1.

The venue, which claimed to be “North Wales’ Finest Ballroom”, had opened in 1960, and featured a maple dance floor. It was also the where The Rolling Stones played their first concert outside England, on 31 August 1963.

The Royal Lido was later refurbished and renamed the Nova Centre. The dance floor was removed and replaced with carpet, but the stage remained.

The Beatles had other connections to Prestatyn. Their road manager, Neil Aspinall, was born there, and Epstein lived there for a time as a child during World War Two.

Their other performances in Wales were in Rhyl on 14 July 1962 and 19–20 July 1963; Mold on 24 January 1963; Abergavenny on 22 June 1963; Llandudno from 12–17 August 1963; and Cardiff on 27 May 1963, 7 November 1964 and 12 December 1965.