In a moment that will surely go down as one of the most moving in Glastonbury history, Sir Paul McCartney, 80, brought the past into the present by performing a virtual duet with John Lennon during his headline set on June 25. The emotional highlight unfolded as McCartney played “I’ve Got a Feeling,” blending his live vocals with Lennon’s isolated voice and video footage — a breathtaking digital reunion of two Beatles separated by decades and death.

Before launching into the song, Paul addressed the stunned crowd and explained that the idea came from Peter Jackson, the visionary behind the Get Back documentary. Jackson had used cutting-edge audio and video technology to isolate John’s vocals, giving Paul a chance to “sing with” his old friend once more.

“Peter Jackson said, ‘We can extract John’s voice and he can sing with you.’ And I said, ‘Oh yeah!’” Paul told the audience, visibly emotional.

The duet was met with silence, then cheers, then tears. Thousands watched as Paul — standing alone on the Pyramid Stage — turned to his right, where John’s image was projected behind him, guitar in hand, singing his part from the rooftop performance immortalized in Let It Be.

It wasn’t the only surprise of the night. McCartney’s nearly three-hour set spanned his legendary catalog, from Beatles gems like “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude”, and “Get Back,” to Wings anthems and solo hits. The rock celebration reached a fever pitch when Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen joined him onstage — Grohl fresh from his first public appearance since the death of bandmate Taylor Hawkins, and Springsteen electrifying the night with his signature energy.

But nothing could quite match the emotional resonance of seeing Paul and John, together again, if only for a few minutes. Under the stars at Glastonbury, time stood still — and the spirit of The Beatles lived on.