Thursday 18 June 1964 | Live | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
18 June 1964 was Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday — and he spent it playing the first of six concerts at Sydney Stadium, each in front of 12,000 people, while jelly babies rained down on the stage.
Arrival in Sydney
The Beatles had first arrived in Australia on 11 June 1964, landing in Darwin before travelling on to Adelaide and Melbourne. They did not reach Sydney until 18 June, arriving by aeroplane at 7.40am.
Around 1,200 fans greeted them at the airport, along with 300 police officers. The scenes were consistent with what had become the standard pattern of a Beatles arrival in any major city: controlled chaos, screaming crowds, and a security operation that strained local resources. The group were taken to their suite at the Sheraton Hotel, where they later gave a press conference for Australian reporters.
The Jelly Baby Problem
By June 1964, The Beatles had been dealing with the jelly baby problem for over a year. It had begun with an offhand comment by George Harrison in a 1963 interview, in which he mentioned a fondness for jelly babies. British fans had begun throwing them at concerts. The habit had then crossed the Atlantic to America — where fans, unable to source jelly babies, substituted the harder American jelly beans — and had now followed the group to Australia.
Harrison was characteristically direct about it:
"Wherever we've been since then – America, Europe and now Australia – that stupid story has gone ahead with the result that we get jelly babies chucked at us till we're really fed up."
— George Harrison
Paul McCartney was forced to stop the group's performance twice to ask the audience not to throw sweets. Both times he was ignored, and a new candy hailstorm greeted the band.
Six Shows, Three Days
The Sydney Stadium engagement ran over three days, with six performances in total — two shows per day. Each performance was seen by 12,000 people. The 18 June show was the first of the run.
Sydney Stadium — a boxing and entertainment arena in Rushcutters Bay — was the largest indoor venue available in Sydney at the time. It had hosted major boxing bouts and was one of the few spaces in the city capable of accommodating the scale of demand for Beatles tickets. Even so, the six shows sold out immediately.
Paul McCartney's 22nd Birthday Party
After the concert, a party was held back at the Sheraton Hotel. Also present were 17 girls who had won the Daily Mirror newspaper's competition — "Why I would like to be a guest at a Beatle's birthday party" — and had been selected to attend.
It was McCartney's second consecutive birthday spent performing — the previous year, his 21st had been marked by the party in Huyton at which John Lennon attacked Bob Wooler. This one was rather more straightforward, if no less eventful. Ringo Starr passed out drunk at 3am the following morning.
The 1964 World Tour
The Sydney shows were part of The Beatles' extraordinary 1964 world tour — a schedule that took them to Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand between June and July, before the North American leg that followed in August and September. It was, by any measure, one of the most intensive touring schedules in rock and roll history: dozens of cities, hundreds of thousands of fans, and a band that was simultaneously the most famous group on the planet and four young men in their early twenties trying to get some sleep.
The Australian leg had been particularly significant. The crowds in Adelaide had been among the largest the group had ever encountered — estimates of 300,000 people lining the streets for their motorcade. Sydney was no less enthusiastic, if slightly more contained.
Key Facts: 18 June 1964
| Date | Thursday 18 June 1964 |
| Venue | Sydney Stadium, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia |
| Arrival time | 7.40am |
| Fans at airport | ~1,200 |
| Police at airport | 300 |
| Hotel | Sheraton Hotel, Sydney |
| Shows at Sydney Stadium | 6 (over 3 days, 2 per day) |
| Audience per show | 12,000 |
| Significance | Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday |
| Birthday party guests | 17 Daily Mirror competition winners |
| Notable incident | Ringo Starr passed out drunk at 3am |
Sydney Stadium was located in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney — a boxing and entertainment arena that was the largest indoor venue available in the city in 1964. The Beatles performed six shows there over three days in June 1964. The stadium was demolished in 1970.
The Beatles: 1964
The year they conquered the world. Officially licensed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did The Beatles perform in Sydney in 1964?
The Beatles performed six shows at Sydney Stadium over three days, beginning on 18 June 1964. Each show was seen by 12,000 people. They had arrived in Sydney that morning at 7.40am, greeted by around 1,200 fans and 300 police officers at the airport.
Why were jelly babies thrown at The Beatles in concert?
The jelly baby tradition began after George Harrison mentioned in a 1963 interview that he liked jelly babies. Fans began throwing them at concerts. The habit spread to America (where harder jelly beans were substituted) and then to Australia. Harrison described it as a problem that had followed them everywhere since the original interview.
What happened at Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday party in Sydney?
After the concert on 18 June 1964 — McCartney's 22nd birthday — a party was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Sydney. Seventeen girls who had won a Daily Mirror competition were among the guests. Ringo Starr passed out drunk at 3am the following morning.
What was Sydney Stadium?
Sydney Stadium was a boxing and entertainment arena in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney — the largest indoor venue available in the city in 1964. It hosted The Beatles for six shows over three days in June 1964. The stadium was demolished in 1970.
What tour were The Beatles on in June 1964?
The Beatles were on their 1964 world tour, which took them to Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand between June and July 1964, followed by a North American leg in August and September. The Australian leg included shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
→ 18 June in Beatles History
→ June in Beatles History
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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