Live: Ritz Cinema, Belfast

The seventh stop on The Beatles’ 1963 Autumn Tour took them from Dublin in the Republic of Ireland to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

They were driven over the border, and shortly after the crossing they stopped to be interviewed by Jimmy Robinson for Ulster News. The item was included in the evening bulletin, broadcast from 6.25-6.35pm.

The Beatles arrived in Belfast at 2pm, and were taken to the BBC television studios, where they recorded an interview with Sally Ogle for the Six Ten programme. The interview took place from 3pm, and was broadcast later that evening from 6.10pm.

That evening The Beatles performed in Belfast’s Ritz Cinema, located on Fisherwick Place. The venue was bombed in 1977 but reopened as the Cannon Cinema. It finally closed in July 1993 and was demolished the following year. A hotel now stands on the location.

The Beatles performed a standard set of 10 songs throughout their Autumn Tour: ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me To You’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Boys’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ and ‘Twist And Shout’.

For the second consecutive day, the group was accompanied by Alun Owen, who had been commissioned by producer Walter Shenson to write the script for The Beatles’ first film A Hard Day’s Night.

This was The Beatles’ first of two visits to Northern Ireland. They returned on 2 November 1964 for two shows at the King’s Hall.