The Beatles live: Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand

The Beatles attended a civic reception held by Auckland’s mayor Dove-Myer Robinson at the Town Hall on 25 June 1964, prior to their performances there in the evening.

Mayor Robinson held the event in the face of opposition from a number of city council members. More enthusiastic, though, were the 7,000 fans who gathered outside the Town Hall to see the group rub noses with three Maori girls in native dress.

It was one of the quickest and most pleasant receptions we’ve ever been to. We went out onto a balcony and waved to the crowd, and some Maoris danced for us, and away we went.

The Lord Mayor was very nice and said, ‘I wouldn’t have blamed you if you hadn’t come, with all the fuss they’ve been making round here about how much it’s costing.’

As on the previous night, The Beatles performed two shows at the Town Hall, each of which was seen by 2,500 fans.