Watch Paul McCartney deliver rare ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ performance at Manchester concert

16 December, 2024

Sir Paul McCartney has pulled out a rare performance of ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ to kick off the festive season – watch fan-shot footage of the performance below.

On Saturday (December 14) Macca brought his ‘Got Back’ tour to Manchester’s Co-Op Live, where he surprised those in attendance by performing his 1979 single ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ for the first time in six years.

Accompanied by several children from the You Should Be Dancing Theatre Academy, it marked the first time the song has been performed live since a trio of December gigs across England in 2018.

Watch Paul McCartney perform ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ below.

It is one of the very few times that Macca has performed the beloved song during his lengthy and esteemed career. Prior to the 2018 gigs, he had only performed ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ in December 2016 on the Tonight Show, marking the only times he’s played it over the last decade.

‘Wonderful Christmastime’ was recorded for Paul McCartney’s sophomore solo album, 1980’s ‘McCartney II’, but was released in November 1979 ahead of that year’s holiday season. It marked McCartney’s first solo single in eight years, following 1971’s ‘Eat At Home’.

In related news, The Beatles are due to be the subject of an upcoming four-part biopic, each told from the viewpoint of one of its members. The films are being helmed by Sam Mendes, and so far, three of the four Beatles are reportedly close to secure actors for their respective portrayals.

Joseph Quinn (Gladiator 2, Stranger Things) is reportedly playing George Harrison, Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott claimed that Paul Mescal will play Paul McCartney in the film, and Ringo Starr seemed to confirm that Barry Keoghan is casted as the drummer. However, it is worth noting that none of these roles have been made official yet.

Mendes, known for helming 1917, Spectre and Skyfall, has previously said he expects to be working on the four Beatles films until “some time in the middle of 2028”. Information from Production List indicates that the first film will begin shooting in London in July 2025.

The post Watch Paul McCartney deliver rare ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ performance at Manchester concert appeared first on NME.