A little over a year after their first triumphant appearance at New York’s Shea Stadium, The Beatles returned for a second time.
The concert did not sell out, with 11,000 of the 55,600 tickets still available. Nonetheless, The Beatles made more money from their appearance than they had in 1965, receiving $189,000 – 65 per cent of the gross takings of $292,000.
Curiously enough the second Shea Stadium concert had about 11,000 seats unsold. So it was a pretty unsettling time. And it was against this background that they said, ‘Right, we definitely won’t do any more. We are going to have a break and then we are going into the studio to make a record.’
The support acts were The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle and The Ronettes. The Beatles performed 11 songs: ‘Rock And Roll Music’, ‘She’s A Woman’, ‘If I Needed Someone’, ‘Day Tripper’, ‘Baby’s In Black’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Paperback Writer’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’.
During the performance of ‘Day Tripper’ hundreds of fans broke through barriers and attempted to reach the stage. They were held back by security guards and none managed to get close to The Beatles.
When they played Shea Stadium again, for me it blended in with the first one, though it was said there were slightly fewer people there than the year before. For some reason I missed the police van that was taking us. I had gone back for something, and before I could get in the van, they slammed the doors and of it went. I was left at the hotel, so I got a cab, but that broke down in Harlem. Another cab took me to the stadium, but there were thousands of people, and I thought: ‘Oh God, they’re really going to let me in! I’m going to just knock on the door and say, “I’m with The Beatles?”‘ Then I saw the four of them banging out of a window, and they saw me wandering round the car park. It was like magic; they were shouting, ‘There he is! Let him in!’
Straight after the concert The Beatles flew to Los Angeles. They arrived the following morning in the early hours and enjoyed a rest day before flying on to Seattle.
Also on this day...
- 2019: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Stir Cove, Council Bluffs
- 2018: John Lennon’s Imagine to be reissued as super deluxe box set
- 2003: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: NextStage Performance Theater, Grand Prairie
- 1995: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Pier 62/63, Seattle
- 1974: John Lennon: ‘On the 23rd Aug. 1974 at 9 o’clock I saw a UFO’
- 1968: Recording, mixing: Back In The USSR
- 1967: Recording: Your Mother Should Know
- 1965: Day off in Los Angeles
- 1964: The Beatles live: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
- 1964: Interview: John Lennon and Ringo Starr in Los Angeles
- 1963: The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Bournemouth
- 1963: UK single release: She Loves You
- 1962: The Beatles live: Riverpark Ballroom, Chester
- 1962: John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I was at the august 23 1966 concert, and I will never forget it. I still can see the concert and what happened. I need to find a good photo of that day. It was great.
Hi Mary, I was there and took some really good photos.You may reach me on Facebook- Wyatt T. Walker, Jr/Jay. Be Well.
I was there too. It went by so fast. My memories are good but blurry. I just remember the sound when they came out of the dugout was like something I never heard before. It was the happiest night of my young life.
The Beatles Were There For One Reason…And One Reason Only…Money…Cold Hard Cash. If There Was No Money To Be Made…You Better Believe, The Beatles Would NOT Have Been There. That’s Just A Hard Fact.
I was there . . . part of Rock ‘n Roll history! It was a great and memorable experience!
I was there and I remember everyone singing the Greatful Dead song ‘riding my train…’ I would love to c your picture.
The screaming was not only deafening but frightening for a kid that age. But there they were, four little stick figures on stage before my eyes. I could barely hear them but that wasn’t the point. I was watching the Beatles in person! What I remember most was Paul’s bass guitar blasting through on “Baby’s In Black”.
Wow that’s great (“greatful” dead??) gayleg54…but that song, Casey Jones wasn’t released until 1970-four years after you say you and everyone were singing it. That was some pretty good LSD-25 in ’66 huh?
I WAS THERE in 1966: The Beatles at Shea Stadium – ayone else?
PIERCINGLY loud before the lads showed up, then it got LOUDER — the songs were muffled at best, they were tiny little things -w-a-y- down on the field, John was laughing because even he couldn’t hear himself sing and realized that he could be singing anything and no one woudl care, and their miniscule set of “amplifiers” were what was needed for perhaps the Cavern Club, not Shea Statuim (yet, the painfully loudest I’ve ever heard was … Jackson Browne?!, who for some reason had every amp set on 11, ‘nuther story!).
They played some songs from Rubber Soul, and I kid of knew their musinc was now studio, not stage — “Yesterday” to obliterating screams?
Special personal thanks to Magnificent Mary Beth for expanding her love of pop performers and music from Rickie Nelson, and bringing us along for the ride — box seats over home plate — wow!
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Trivia Q: one opening act … and author of their song …?
A: The Cyrkle sang “Red Rubber Ball” by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley (of The Seekers).
My sister and I, along with our brother as chaperon saw the Beatles. I remember Bobby Ebb and the Ronettes but forgot the other opening acts!! We were in the orange section, which would be the nosebleed section. We screamed along with everyone else!!
gayleg54 is making up a story. The Grateful Dead was just an unknown California bar band in August of 1966, and Casey Jones wasn’t even around until 1970, when the Beatles had already broken up.
Pretty sure that in 1966 at Shea, it was Roy Head instead of the Remains. The Remains may have played other dates on the tour, but I am pretty sure that this was not one of them. I remember writing a comment in my souvenir program about Roy’s enthusiastic and athletic performance, and I completely do not remember the Remains being on the bill at all. The rest of the opening acts are correct.
where on earth is the film of the 66 Shea performance???
Shea 66;
One bit is unusual for this show though. I don´t think I have heard Paul say “Welcome!” to any audience at any time before the first song starts. Usually they just shouted ‘wo wo w’o and ‘hello hello’ to test that the microphones were on.
To Mary, regarding your 2012 post about photos; there are lots of them. I have collected about 50+ different images. To Richard Lawless, regarding film: there are various clips from different angles. Some closer than others, sort of professional/documentary clips, and some very distant audience films. I´d like to think that most of those I have seen have the correct sound, but it´s difficult to tell as many films of the day were silent and dubbed in more recent years.
Meryl Streep was at this concert.
Meryl Streep was at the ’65 concert, not ’66.
I dont remember any opening acts! I was in a dreamlike state waiting for them to come on! Mass hysteria!!!xxx
When did the Ronettes open for them?
I do believe the photo is from the 1965 show