Honestly, you've gotta wonder where the man keeps the spare batteries.
Sir Paul McCartney is 83. Most people that age are happy if they can find their glasses, but Paul McCartney on tour is out here playing three-hour sets without so much as a sip of water on stage. It's almost weird. He just wrapped up a massive 2025 leg of his "Got Back" tour, and the energy levels were, frankly, staggering.
If you caught him at the United Center in Chicago or saw the fireworks during "Live and Let Die" at Coors Field in Denver, you know what I’m talking about. It isn’t just a concert. It’s a marathon. It’s basically a religious experience for people who grew up with the Beatles, but also for the kids in the front row who only know him from "Now and Then."
The Setlist That Refuses to Quit
People always ask: "Does he still sound like he did in 1964?"
Well, no. Obviously. His voice is a bit thinner now, and it wavers on the high notes. But when the band kicks into "Helter Skelter," none of that matters. The 2025 tour setlist was a monster, usually hovering around 36 or 37 songs.
He’s doing things most artists half his age would cut for time. He opens with "Can't Buy Me Love" or "A Hard Day's Night," and from there, it's a relentless slide through history. You get the Wings era with "Junior's Farm" and "Letting Go." You get the weird solo stuff like "Come On To Me." And then, of course, the big Beatles heavyweights.
The Virtual Duet Everyone Talks About
The emotional peak of the show is still "I’ve Got a Feeling." Using the isolated footage from the Peter Jackson Get Back documentary, Paul sings with a giant, crystal-clear John Lennon on the screen behind him.
It's not a hologram. It's just film. But when John’s voice fills the stadium, the atmosphere changes. It’s heavy.
Then he pivots. He picks up a ukulele George Harrison gave him and plays a solo, stripped-back version of "Something" before the whole band crashes in for the finale. It’s these little moments of tribute that keep the tour from feeling like a "greatest hits" cash grab.
Why Paul McCartney on Tour Still Works in 2026
The secret sauce isn't just the songs. It's the band.
Paul has been playing with the same core group—Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray, Paul "Wix" Wickens, and Abe Laboriel Jr.—for over 20 years. That’s longer than he was in the Beatles and Wings combined. They aren't just session musicians; they’re a unit.
Wix Wickens, the musical director, manages a mountain of cues. Abe Laboriel Jr. is a powerhouse on the drums who sings backing vocals that basically do the heavy lifting for Paul’s high range. They’ve got it down to a science.
No Phones, Just Eyeballs
One thing that made the 2025 dates stand out was Paul’s experiment with "phone-free" shows at places like the Bowery Ballroom and certain Santa Barbara dates.
He mentioned in a Q&A that he loved "seeing the whites of their eyes" again. It changed the vibe. Instead of a sea of glowing rectangles, people were actually... looking at him. It felt like a throwback to the 60s, minus the screaming fans fainting in the aisles (mostly).
The High Cost of History
Let's be real: tickets aren't cheap.
If you wanted a seat in 2025, you were looking at hundreds, sometimes thousands for the good ones. Even the merch was a bit of a wallet-drainer. A "Got Back" denim history jacket would set you back $500. A standard tour tee? $50.
But people pay it. Why? Because there’s a very real sense that this could be the last time. Fans have been saying "this is the last one" since the New tour in 2013, yet here he is, still planning for 2026.
What’s Next for Sir Paul?
Rumors are already flying about 2026.
He’s been working on a new album—the follow-up to McCartney III—and there’s talk of a massive UK homecoming tour. He hasn't played an extensive run in his homeland for a while, and the word on the street is that 2026 is the year.
He’s also got that animated movie, High in the Clouds, finally nearing completion. Ringo Starr is even voicing a character. It's a "log jam" of projects, as he put it.
Actionable Tips for the 2026 Rumors
If you’re planning on seeing him if/when the 2026 dates drop, here is the move:
- Sign up for the mailing list: This sounds like Boomer advice, but Paul’s official site is where the pre-sale codes actually come from.
- Don't wait for the floor: Honestly, the sound in the lower bowl of most stadiums is better than being mashed against the barricade where you can't see the screens.
- Watch the documentary first: If you haven't seen Man on the Run or the Get Back series, watch them before the show. It makes the "I've Got a Feeling" duet hit ten times harder.
The reality of Paul McCartney on tour is that it's a ticking clock. But as long as he’s still doing the "Foxy Lady" jam at the end of "Let Me Roll It," it seems like the clock has a few more years left in it.
The 2025 North American run might be over, but the "log jam" of 2026 suggests the road isn't ending yet. Keep your eyes on the official announcements for the UK dates—they'll likely be the hardest tickets to get in a decade.