Chicago

This was the first of two consecutive nights in Chicago and the nineteenth show of the 2025 US leg of the “Got Back” tour. Paul McCartney last performed in Chicago in July 2014 during his Out There Tour.

From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025 Part 4:

Looking forward to Got Back’s two-night grand finale at Chicago’s United Center was a bittersweet proposition: On one hand, Paul’s Chicago shows have been the stuff of legend — from the Beatles and Wings stadium plays of the ‘60s and ‘70s respectively to more recent milestones including 2011’s multiple nights at Wrigley Field and 2015’s Lollapalooza headline, Paul has always enjoyed a deep and passionate relationship with the Windy City. On the other, no matter how awe-inspiring and unforgettable these last two shows were, they’d still be just that: the final two shows of the run.

“Jojo got back. Sweet Loretta Martin, too. So did everyone fortunate enough to witness Paul McCartney amaze a standing-room-only audience at United Center,” raved the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. “The 83-years-young legend presided over a joyful celebration that inspired, uplifted and unified.”

Truer words were never written, as Paul’s 2025 Chicago doubleheader kept multiple generations singing, dancing, laughing and crying non-stop for a cumulative nearly six hours over two nights. Appropriately scheduled in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Paul basked in the gratitude of tens of thousands who joined together on massive communal choruses from the outset with “Help!” and “Coming Up” through to home stretch staples “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da” and “Hey Jude,” and virtually every point in between.

A rare technical glitch on night one necessitated a restart on “Let ‘Em In,” quickly repaired and ultimately resulting in an even more impassioned than usual reading of the Wings favorite — while also, as Paul pointed out, proving that he and the band are playing live.

Paul, the band and the Hot City Horns exuded such intensity in Chicago that these shows could have easily been mistaken for a tour opener. “Jet” ascended to new anthemic heights, while “Lady Madonna” had the full age spectrum from children to grandparents dancing in the aisles. 

For all their abundant energy, the Chicago Got Back 2025 attendees stood rapt in reverent silence for Paul’s unaccompanied moments including “Blackbird,” “Here Today” and the ukulele/vocal-only first section of “Something.” And on both nights, they came back as ever roaring with a vengeance for the likes of “Band on the Run” and “Get Back.”

Chicago’s encores were particularly incendiary, with “I’ve Got a Feeling” eliciting some of the loudest response of the two-month run and “Helter Skelter” simply shredding in every sense of the word, from Paul’s apocalyptic vocal performance to Rusty, Brian and Wix engaging in a three-way guitar duel bolstered by Abe’s mammoth percussive onslaught. Moments later, the Hot City Horns would return to the stage for a final Got Back 2025 rendition of the closing Abbey Road medley, Kenji, Mike and Paul adding emotive brass embellishments to Paul’s mellifluous delivery on “Golden Slumbers” and extra emphasis on the stops and starts punctuating “Carry That Weight.”

One more three-way guitar exchange and one final “And in the end/the love you take/is equal to the love you make,” Got Back 2025 was officially in the books. “We’ll see you next time,” Paul said as he left the stage for the last time in 2025, leaving us to echo the sentiments that RIFF magazine conveyed: “We’ll hold onto that statement. Until next time, Macca.”

Steve Martin – Paul’s US publicist – From Paul McCartney | News | Penned on the Run: ‘GOT BACK’ Tour Diary 2025 Part 4

From Win a front row trip to meet Paul McCartney! – Meat Free Monday, September 18, 2025:

Meat Free Monday co-founder Paul McCartney is offering one fan, and their guest, the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime experience in Chicago while supporting the fight against climate change.

The winner and a guest will travel to Chicago for a three-night stay, score front row guest-list seats for Paul’s Got Back Tour penultimate show of 2025 at the United Center on Monday 24 November, 2025, and step into an unforgettable moment: exclusive soundcheck access followed by a backstage meet-and-greet and photo with Paul himself. The prize also includes a merch pack and a gift card to cover ground transportation and dinner for two in Chicago.

At the heart of it all, by entering, you’ll be supporting Meat Free Monday! Thanks to your generosity, we can develop educational resources, inspire plant-based cooking, host events and fund important research – all to celebrate our planet and empower everyone to act on climate change.

United Center

This was the 7th concert played at United Center.

A total of 8 concerts have been played there • 2002 • Apr 10 • Apr 11 • Sep 24 • 2005 • Oct 18 • Oct 19 • 2014 • Jul 9 • 2025 • Nov 24• Nov 25

Setlist for the soundcheck

1. Instrumental Jam

2. Matchbox

   Written by Carl Perkins

3. Twenty Flight Rock

   Written by Eddie Cochran, Ned Fairchild

4. Magical Mystery Tour

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

5. Temporary Secretary

   Written by Paul McCartney

6. Women and Wives

   Written by Paul McCartney

7. Let 'Em In

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

8. From Me to You

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

9. Every Night

   Written by Paul McCartney

10. Ram On

    Written by Paul McCartney

11. Big Barn Bed

    Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

12. Midnight Special (Prisoner's Song)

    Written by Traditional

13. New

    Written by Paul McCartney

14. Lady Madonna

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

See soundcheck statistics for “Got Back Tour”

Setlist for the concert

1. Help!

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

2. Coming Up

   Written by Paul McCartney

3. Got to Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

4. Drive My Car

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

5. Letting Go

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

6. Come On to Me

   Written by Paul McCartney

7. Medley

1. Let Me Roll It

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

2. Foxy Lady

   Written by Jimi Hendrix

8. Getting Better

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

9. Let 'Em In

   Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

10. My Valentine

    Written by Paul McCartney

11. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five

    Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

12. Maybe I'm Amazed

    Written by Paul McCartney

13. I've Just Seen a Face

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

14. In Spite of All the Danger

    Written by Paul McCartney, George Harrison

15. Love Me Do

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

16. Dance Tonight

    Written by Paul McCartney

17. Blackbird

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

18. Here Today

    Written by Paul McCartney

19. Now and Then

    Written by John Lennon

20. Lady Madonna

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

21. Jet

    Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

22. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

23. Something

    Written by George Harrison

24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

25. Band on the Run

    Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

26. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

27. Let It Be

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

28. Live and Let Die

    Written by Paul McCartney, Linda Eastman / McCartney

29. Hey Jude

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

30. Encore

1. I've Got a Feeling

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

3. Helter Skelter

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

4. Golden Slumbers

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

5. Carry That Weight

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

6. The End

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

See song statistics for “Got Back Tour”