Rio De Janeiro

From Paul McCartney, February 13, 2024:

This wasn’t a normal day, so it didn’t start in the normal way! Opening my hotel window in the morning as I woke, I saw a plane flying down Rio’s Copacabana Beach pulling a massive sign that read: ’Welcome Back To Rio Paul’. What a way to make our man feel welcome!

“Paul McCartney is part of a generation that changed the world in the 1960s. Now, almost six decades later, he continues to transform the view of what a man his age is capable of doing.” – O Estado de Sao Paulo, December 2023

Although Paul has played Rio numerous times since, it was actually way back in 1990 that he last performed at the Maracaña Stadium – to the biggest crowds ever!

As I mentioned earlier, the shows there smashed box office records for a concert. I can remember reading about it in the Guinness Book of Records when I was a kid and having my mind blown by it, so as you can imagine it felt awesome to be there with Paul as he returned to the scene of his past glories.

But there are more recent glories to think about too. Ahead of going on stage, Paul was presented with a special award for selling over two million concert tickets in Brazil – making him the most successful international live artist in Brazil.

That day was HOT! I mean… it was so hot that when the pyro went off in ‘Live And Let Die’ during the show, it felt like air conditioning! But Paul took it in his stride on such a magical evening, in a show packed full of so many special moments. The fans got themselves super coordinated and surprised Paul during ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ with multicoloured balloons, and used their phones to illuminate them. It was an incredible sight and, as Paul himself said from the stage, it looked “very Disney.” ‘Hey Jude’saw the audience raise ‘Na Na’ signs, which created an amazing scene and atmosphere within the Maracaña.

“It is the living presence of one of the great singers and composers of popular music of the 20th Century, doing in 2023 something that seems to have remained there in that century: a great show with great songs, played live, in symbiosis with the public.” – O Globo, December 2023

More than 66,000 people danced the night away with us this time around, but the audience actually reached the millions, as the concert was broadcast live to Brazilians on Disney+. 

There was definitely a carnival atmosphere at the show, as Paul gave it his all on the final night of the tour, and the typically wild Rio crowd voiced their appreciation, shouting a fab chorus of “We love you” that saw Paul reply, “I love you too!”

For me that will go down as one of the loudest crowds I’ve ever seen at any concert ever – with special mention going to Paul’s daughters Mary and Stella, who got just as involved as all the fans in attendance.

When the set reached the last song, it was not only highly emotional for the audience but for the crew too. We’ve been having such an adventure since Got Back got back in Australia, and like the audience, we didn’t want to go home either. We’ve all had a total blast with our second family. We might be thousands of miles from home, but Paul has created such a great family environment that it feels like a home away from home for us. Backstage, the team were frantically dismantling dressing rooms and offices whilst embracing each other and saying their goodbyes for now.

There is a long-standing tour tradition that marks the end of each concert. Once the band and Paul finally leave the stage, they make their way to the tour bus, where Team Macca give the guys a special congratulations and Paul high-fives all the team members as he walks.   

When the Hot City Horns joined the tour in 2018, it gave this tradition another aspect all together as Paul, Kenji and Mike play a celebratory tune to accompany the run of high-fives. The tunes are bespoke to the touring destinations, with some favourites thrown in along the way like The A-Team theme, or ‘Eye Of The Tiger’.  

That night, bringing 2023 and Rio’s carnival vibe to a close, the boys played ‘Copacabana’ to accompany Paul on to the bus. We all clapped and cheered – total euphoria! The hottest show in the world in the hottest city in the world. What a day and what a few months we’ve had.

We couldn’t have asked for a better climax to an unforgettable tour. The memories of those shows will no doubt stick with anyone who was there for a long time – they certainly kept me glowing as I returned back to a frosty London, rolling immediately into Christmas feeling like I’d already received the greatest gift anyone could ask for: being lucky enough to enjoy the remarkable shared experience of love and music with thousands of new friends in the most extraordinary places. 

From Paul McCartney, February 13, 2024