60,000 people held their breath beneath the cloudy Liverpool sky — not for lights or pyrotechnics, but for something far rarer. Paul McCartney, 83, walked onstage unannounced, bass in hand, to join Bruce Springsteen in a moment no one saw coming. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t rehearsed. Even the band looked stunned. Just before the encore, Bruce went silent… the crowd shifted… and then history walked out under the spotlight. Two icons. One stage. One final encore that felt like the last page of a sacred book. No one cheered at first — they just stared, teary-eyed, knowing they were witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime heartbeat in rock and roll’s story
Paul McCartney joined Bruce Springsteen on stage in Liverpool on Saturday (June 7, 2025) for a pair of classic tracks. The performances of “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey,” at the E Street Band’s concert at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, kicked off the band’s nine-song encore. “We’re lucky tonight, we’ve got a young man… he’s gonna play with us tonight. I think he’s got a lot of talent and I believe he’s gonna be going places,” joked the Boss. “So, let’s bring out Sir Paul McCartney,” as the crowd roared its approval.
As McCartney counted down the intro, the familiar chords of The Beatles’ 1964 hit, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” began. Naturally, Sir Paul handled the lead vocals; Steve Van Zandt delivered the song’s guitar solo. After the two stars hugged, McCartney led the band into a vibrant (is there any other kind?) performance of “Kansas City,” the Leiber and Stoller chestnut that the Beatles famously covered.
“Thank you, Scousers,” McCartney said to the crowd, using a term used for someone from Liverpool.
“Oh my God! You don’t know… to be in Liverpool and play with a Beatle? That’s one of my dreams come true, right there,” said the appreciative Springsteen. McCartney turns 83 on June 18.
The concert was the second of two for the E Street Band in The Beatles’ home town, and the final U.K. date of their current tour. It continues in Europe for several dates into early July.
Seven previously unheard Springsteen albums will be released on the widely rumored and long-anticipated Tracks II: The Lost Albums, coming June 27, 2025, via Sony Music. A box set spanning 83 songs, the massive collection fills in rich chapters of the classic rock legend’s expansive career timeline — while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist. The 9-LP or 7-CD sets are available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. (on vinyl, here and on CD, here).
