There are shows you walk into knowing you’re about to witness something special, and then there are Paul McCartney shows—where even that expectation feels too small. When Sir Paul returned to Hamilton’s TD Coliseum in November 2025, the energy in the building had the feeling of a once-in-a-lifetime event disguised as a tour stop. Fans in Beatles shirts, Wings shirts, tour shirts from the ’70s, ’80s, and last week all buzzed with the same vibe: this was a chance to be in the same room as the man who helped shape the soundtrack of the last sixty years. And what unfolded wasn’t a nostalgia act, or a heritage show, or a living-museum performance. It was a living, breathing celebration of music, memory, craft, and joy. McCartney didn’t just play songs—he played eras, emotions, and entire chapters of people’s lives.
He hit the stage with that familiar bounce in his step, the Hofner slung over his shoulder, and launched straight into “Help!”—a bold, beautifully raw opener that sent the place into immediate chaos. Suddenly everyone was on their feet, singing along like they had been waiting their entire lives to yell those lyrics back at him. From there he wasted no time reminding everyone why his catalog feels bottomless. “Coming Up” was funky and sharp, “Got to Get You Into My Life” popped like a brass-driven rocket, and “Drive My Car” had that playful, bouncy charm that proves Paul’s range has always included humor right alongside genius.
What makes a McCartney show so different from every other legacy artist is how fluidly he moves across his career. He doesn’t divide eras—he stitches them together. A Beatles classic here, a Wings anthem there, a modern tune without apology or hesitation. A lesser artist might hide the new songs at the back of a setlist. Paul puts them right in the middle. “Come On to Me” was an arena-sized stomper, while “Letting Go” showed just how muscular his Wings-era material still feels live. And “Let Me Roll It,” capped with that extended Hendrix-flavored “Foxey Lady” outro, was one of the night’s biggest riffs—raw, dirty, loud, and absolutely electrifying.
When Paul shifted into “Getting Better,” the arena erupted in that bittersweet way only Beatles songs can produce—equal parts joy and nostalgia, equal parts “I can’t believe I’m hearing this” and “I remember where I was the first time I heard this.” And then he moved into one of the sweetest moments of the night: “Let ’Em In.” The horns were smooth and warm, and Paul had that little grin on his face—the one that says he’s enjoying the song as much as the crowd is.
The night had no shortage of emotional peaks. “My Valentine,” dedicated to Nancy, was tender and calm in the middle of the whirlwind. Then the show kicked into high gear again with “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five”—a track that has become a live monster. It sounded massive inside TD Coliseum, all piano thunder and rhythmic muscle. “Maybe I’m Amazed” followed, and while Paul has sung it thousands of times, he still delivers it like he wrote it yesterday for someone he can’t imagine life without.
That emotional arc continued with a beautiful run of acoustic numbers. “I’ve Just Seen a Face” had the whole arena clapping and stomping. “In Spite of All the Danger,” a Quarrymen relic, was pure storytelling gold—Paul holding court like a charming uncle recounting the early days before fame rewrote everything. “Love Me Do” was simple and joyful, and “Dance Tonight” had that carefree bounce that makes the whole room feel like they’re part of something communal rather than just a concert.
And then came the two songs that remind everyone why McCartney shows are emotional experiences, not just musical ones: “Blackbird” and “Here Today.” “Blackbird” was quiet, steady, and beautifully intimate—just Paul, a guitar, and a crowd of thousands holding their breath. “Here Today,” dedicated to John Lennon, hit just as hard as it always does—Paul singing the words he never got to say to his friend, all these years later. If there was a dry eye in the building, nobody admitted to it.
“Now and Then,” the unthinkable final Beatles song, was a moment unto itself. Hearing Paul play it live—after the world spent decades thinking the Beatles catalog was complete—felt surreal, even historic.
From there the show turned into a parade of heavy hitters. “Lady Madonna” boogied, “Jet” soared, and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” was psychedelic theatre in all the right ways. He dedicated “Something” to George Harrison, strumming the ukulele and leading the crowd through a beautifully warm tribute before the full band kicked in. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” turned the arena into a giant party, and “Band on the Run” exploded like a three-movement rock opera.
The closing run of the main set was pure McCartney fireworks: “Get Back,” “Let It Be,” a fire-breathing “Live and Let Die” (with all the pyrotechnics the venue could legally handle), and finally “Hey Jude,” which brought the house together in one massive, universal singalong.
And then the encore happened—something that felt like its own mini-concert.
He returned with “I’ve Got a Feeling,” performing alongside isolated Lennon vocals from the Let It Be film. Every time he does this, it feels like the closest thing to a Beatles reunion earth will ever get, and Hamilton soaked up every second. But the real shock of the night was “Mull of Kintyre.” He brought out the Paris Port Dover Pipe Band—yes, the full pipe band—and played the song for the first time since 2017. The place went wild. It was triumphant and emotional and utterly unique.
From there it was a sprint to the finish: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” into a blistering “Helter Skelter,” then the gorgeous closing suite of “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” Hearing that final medley live is like watching the credits roll on the greatest film ever made—epic, warm, timeless, and somehow still hopeful.
When the lights came up, people didn’t leave right away. They stuck around, soaking it in, knowing they had just witnessed something rare. McCartney doesn’t perform like a man carrying his legacy—he performs like someone grateful to still share it. And that’s why his shows don’t feel like nostalgia. They feel alive.
Setlist – Paul McCartney – TD Coliseum, Hamilton, ON – November 2025
Help!
Coming Up
Got to Get You Into My Life
Drive My Car
Letting Go
Come On to Me
Let Me Roll It (with “Foxey Lady” outro)
Getting Better
Let ’Em In
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I’m Amazed
I’ve Just Seen a Face
In Spite of All the Danger
Love Me Do
Dance Tonight
Blackbird
Here Today
Now and Then
Lady Madonna
Jet
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Something
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Band on the Run
Get Back
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
Encore:
I’ve Got a Feeling (duet with isolated Lennon vocals)
Mull of Kintyre (with Paris Port Dover Pipe Band)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End