Sunday, April 11, 1965
NME Annual Poll-Winners' All-Star Concert
Concert • By The Beatles
Last updated on July 1, 2026
Sunday, April 11, 1965
Concert • By The Beatles
Last updated on July 1, 2026
Location: Empire Pool • London • UK
Previous concert Jan 16, 1965 • Another Beatles Christmas Show • Night 20 • 6:15pm
Single Apr 09, 1965 • "Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is (UK)" by The Beatles released in the UK
TV show Apr 10, 1965 • Filming of Top Of The Pops
Concert Apr 11, 1965 • NME Annual Poll-Winners' All-Star Concert
TV show Apr 11, 1965 • The Eamonn Andrews Show
Interview Apr 11, 1965 • Interview with The Eamonn Andrews Show
Next concert Jun 20, 1965 • France • Paris • 3pm show
First live rendition
On this day, The Beatles participated in the New Musical Express Annual Poll-Winners’ All-Star Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London. It was the third consecutive year the group appeared at the event, and they would also appear a year later, in 1966, for the last time.
They performed five songs before 10,000 people, including their latest single, “Ticket to Ride“. It was the first time they performed “Ticket To Ride” live, although they had mimed the song a few days earlier on “Thank Your Lucky Stars.”
They collected their awards from American singer Tony Bennett.
Also on the bill were The Moody Blues, Freddie and the Dreamers, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, The Seekers, Herman’s Hermits, The Ivy League, Sounds Incorporated, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, The Rolling Stones, Cilla Black, Donovan, Them, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Animals and The Kinks.
The Beatles’ set was broadcast on television in the United Kingdom on 18 April 1965.
After this afternoon show, they drove to Teddington Studios, where they appeared on The Eamonn Andrews Show to promote their new single.
Game is ‘spot the pop star’
TEN THOUSAND teenagers last night played an exciting game — Spot the Pop Star.
Exciting — because there were so MANY to spot. Just imagine it! Over there — Cilla Black chatting gaily to Twinkle… Dusty Springfield… Yes, and that’s Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones rubbing shoulders with the Searchers. And THEY were there too, in Guardsmen-type jackets. The Beatles aren’t shown in the big picture on the left, but they were mingling with the rest at the Empire Pool, Wembley.
The occasion? A poll winners’ concert held by the International Publishing Corporation’s magazine New Musical Express.
It was three and a half hours of tearaway pop entertainment. Every top name from the British beat scene was on the bill. They included Freddie and the Dreamers, The Animals, the new Welsh discovery Tom Jones — later to top the bill at the Palladium — and folk singer Donovan. The only American to get a look-in was singer Tony Bennett. He presented the prizes.
The Beatles, who were later appearing on the Eamonn Andrews television show, are almost certain to top the charts this morning only forty-eight hours after the release of their latest disc “Ticket to Ride.”
Proud as Punch… It’s those Beatles again
IT’S the Beatles again… proud as Punch with their awards at the New Musical Express poll-winners concert last night. Once again they were voted the top group. John Lennon also holds the award he won as No. 2 male singer. No. 1 was Cliff Richard.
From Daily Mirror – April 12, 1965
This was the 3rd concert played at Empire Pool.
A total of 22 concerts have been played there • 1963 • Apr 21 • 1964 • Apr 26 • 1965 • Apr 11• 1966 • May 1 • 1976 • Oct 19 • Oct 20 • Oct 21 • 1979 • Dec 7 • Dec 8 • Dec 9 • Dec 10 • 1990 • Jan 11 • Jan 13 • Jan 14 • Jan 16 • Jan 17 • Jan 19 • Jan 20 • Jan 21 • Jan 23 • Jan 24 • Jan 26
Written by Richard Penniman / Little Richard, Enotris Johnson, Robert Blackwell
Album Available on The Ultimate Live Collection Vol. 11
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