Paul McCartney performed at the Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 13 November 2011.
It was the ninth show of the On The Run Tour, which lasted for 37 dates between July 2011 and November 2012.
The day before McCartney and his wife Nancy watched the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The concert was the last event in three nights of Formula 1 weekend events, which also saw performances by Britney Spears, Incubus and The Cult. The F1 concert series was available to holders of tickets to the Grand Prix races.
This was McCartney’s first concert in the UAE. He greeted the crowd with a shout of “Marhaba Abu Dhabi!”
McCartney’s band was Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, harmonica), Brian Ray (vocals, guitar, bass), Rusty Anderson (vocals, guitar), and Abe Laboriel Jr (vocals, drums).
Concert setlist
- ‘Hello, Goodbye’
- ‘Junior’s Farm’
- ‘All My Loving’
- ‘Jet’
- ‘Drive My Car’
- ‘Sing The Changes’
- ‘The Night Before’
- ‘Let Me Roll It’
- ‘Paperback Writer’
- ‘The Long And Winding Road’
- ‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five’
- ‘Let ’Em In’
- ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
- ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’
- ‘I Will’
- ‘Blackbird’
- ‘Here Today’
- ‘Dance Tonight’
- ‘Mrs Vandebilt’
- ‘Eleanor Rigby’
- ‘Something’
- ‘Band On The Run’
- ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’
- ‘Back In The USSR’
- ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’
- ‘A Day In The Life’
- ‘Give Peace A Chance’
- ‘Let It Be’
- ‘Live And Let Die’
- ‘Hey Jude’
On The Run Tour dates
- 15 July 2011: Yankee Stadium, New York City, USA
- 16 July 2011: Yankee Stadium, New York City, USA
- 24 July 2011: Comerica Park, Detroit, USA
- 26 July 2011: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
- 27 July 2011: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
- 31 July 2011: Wrigley Field, Chicago, USA
- 1 August 2011: Wrigley Field, Chicago, USA
- 4 August 2011: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, USA
- 13 November 2011: Du Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 26 November 2011: Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
- 27 November 2011: Mediolanum Forum, Milan, Italy
- 30 November 2011: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 1 December 2011: Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany
- 5 December 2011: O2 Arena, London, England
- 10 December 2011: Ericsson Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
- 12 December 2011: Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Finland
- 14 December 2011: Olimpiisky Arena, Moscow, Russia
- 19 December 2011: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
- 20 December 2011: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England
- 24 March 2012: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 26 March 2012: Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
- 28 March 2012: Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
- 29 March 2012: Royal Albert Hall, London, England
- 15 April 2012: Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay
- 17 April 2012: Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay
- 19 April 2012: El Campin Stadium, Bogotá, Colombia
- 21 April 2012: Estadio Arruda, Recife, Brazil
- 22 April 2012: Estadio Arruda, Recife, Brazil
- 25 April 2012: Estádio da Ressacada, Florianópolis, Brazil
- 5 May 2012: Estadio Omnilife, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 8 May 2012: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
- 10 May 2012: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
- 11 November 2012: Scottrade Center, St Louis, USA
- 14 November 2012: Minute Maid Park, Houston, USA
- 25 November 2012: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
- 28 November 2012: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Canada
- 29 November 2012: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Canada
Also on this day...
- 2016: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Las Vegas
- 2013: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City
- 2012: Sgt Pepper collage sells at auction for £55,250
- 2012: US release: The Beatles’ stereo vinyl box set
- 2011: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Credicard Hall, São Paulo
- 2002: Paul McCartney live: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
- 2001: US album release: Driving Rain by Paul McCartney
- 2000: Album release: 1
- 1975: Wings live: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
- 1963: The Beatles live: ABC Cinema, Plymouth
- 1963: Television: Move Over, Dad
- 1962: The Beatles live: Star-Club, Hamburg
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1960: The Beatles live: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I just love Paul’s travelling band – both their performance and the fact that they and Paul genuinely seem to enjoy performing together.