Paul McCartney Opens 2026 With Small LA Concert For Celebrity Crowd

A crowd filled with big names gathered in Los Angeles to watch Paul McCartney begin the year with two special performances at the Fonda Theatre.

On Saturday March 28, McCartney performed the second night of his two show run at the 1,200 seat venue. These performances were his first time back on stage since finishing the Got Back Tour, and they capped off a week in which the Beatles legend revealed plans for his first album in five years.

To mark the occasion, he announced his upcoming record The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, which is available for pre order here, and also released the reflective lead single Days We Left Behind, although the track was not included in the setlist for either show.

Instead, fans lucky enough to secure tickets through the lottery system saw a 25 song performance that ran close to two hours. The set featured numerous Beatles favourites including Help!, Something, and I’ve Just Seen a Face. He also revisited highlights from Wings, including Band on the Run and Let Me Roll It.

In addition to honoring the late George Harrison, he also paid respect to Jimi Hendrix by performing an instrumental version of Foxy Lady, and wrapped up both nights with a closing sequence of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, and The End.

Attendees were asked to place their phones in secure pouches during the performance, but photos of celebrity guests leaving the venue later surfaced online. Among those spotted were Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and John Mayer.

According to CNN, Stevie Nicks, Margot Robbie, Billie Eilish, and Ringo Starr were also present at the Fonda Theatre, along with Sabrina Carpenter, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Emma Watson, and others.

Earlier today Monday March 30, and possibly connected to the phone restriction at the show, McCartney’s official Reddit profile was temporarily banned after posting images from the concert through a Dropbox link.

The post has since been taken down, although the Reddit account itself, believed to be operated by his team, has now been reinstated.

“Hope you enjoyed the show at Fonda Theatre last night,” the message said (via Dexerto), adding that the photos were meant to give fans who could not attend a chance to see moments from the phone free concert.

“As last night was a phone free experience, we wanted to make sure that you had some memories from the show to share with friends, family and loved ones.”

During the performance, McCartney also spoke about the Beatles’ early days in Liverpool, describing them as four young men who “eventually came to America, where it was new, different, and included a lot of screaming girls”, according to Rolling Stone.

The recent appearances also follow a period where McCartney has been reflecting on his career after The Beatles and his years with Wings. Last year he released the book The Story Of A Band On The Run ahead of an anthology release and the well received documentary Man On The Run, which NME said portrayed him as “goofy and a little corny, but always endearingly himself”.

Last year also saw renewed attention on The Beatles Anthology with a new book, an expanded album release, and the famous documentary series extended to nine episodes. Production is also continuing on Sam Mendes’ four upcoming Beatles biographical films, with Paul Mescal cast as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. The films are expected to arrive in 2028.

Speaking about his forthcoming album, McCartney shared that the title came from personal memories. “I do often wonder if I’m just writing about the past,” he said, “but then I think how can you write about anything else?”

The project began during a tea meeting with producer Andrew Watt [Post Malone, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John] in 2021, when McCartney picked up a guitar and played a chord progression he did not immediately recognize. After building it into a three chord idea, Watt encouraged him to record it, which eventually became the opening track As You Lie There.

The Boys Of Dungeon Lane tracklist is:
As You Lie There
Lost Horizon
Days We Left Behind
Ripples in a Pond
Mountain Top
Down South
We Two
Come Inside
Never Know
Home to Us
Life Can Be Hard
First Star of the Night
Salesman Saint
Momma Gets By

Following the approach he took on his classic 1970 solo debut McCartney, the music icon performed most of the instruments on the new record himself, with the album credited solely to him. A press statement described the sound as featuring “Wings style rock, Beatles style harmonies, McCartney style grooves, understated intimacy, melody driven storytelling, character songs, with Paul himself connecting it all together.”