Paul McCartney Live: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Monday 20 April 1990 | Live, Paul McCartney

“Was frightening before we went on, the sheer size of it, but we were played in, and once we hit the stage we were all right, it's your home, your own little box, your own environment.”

Paul McCartney | New World Tour book

Paul McCartney performed at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20 April 1990 during the Paul McCartney World Tour. The show formed part of a major South American leg of the tour, bringing him to one of the largest stadium audiences of his career at that point.

McCartney returned to the same venue decades later on 16 December 2023 during the Got Back Tour, underlining the long continuity of his touring history in Brazil.

🎤 Soundcheck Setlist

Mean Woman Blues
Welcome Everybody (To Rio By The Sea)
Matchbox
Just Because
Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
C Moon
The Hustle
Look At All The Lonely People

🎸 Concert Setlist

Figure Of Eight
Jet
Got To Get You Into My Life
Rough Ride
Band On The Run
We Got Married
Let 'Em In
The Long And Winding Road
The Fool On The Hill
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Good Day Sunshine
Can't Buy Me Love
Put It There
Hello, Goodbye
Things We Said Today
Eleanor Rigby
This One
My Brave Face
Back In The USSR
I Saw Her Standing There
Coming Up
Let It Be
Ain't That A Shame
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude
Yesterday
PS Love Me Do
Get Back
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End

Location Map

FAQ

How big was the audience at Maracanã Stadium?

Maracanã Stadium is one of the largest football venues in the world, and McCartney's 1990 performance was played to a vast capacity crowd as part of his World Tour stadium run in Brazil.

Why did Paul McCartney describe the venue as “frightening”?

He referred to the sheer scale of the stadium before going on stage. Once the show began, he described settling into performance mode and treating it like a controlled, familiar environment.

Was this McCartney's first show in Brazil?

Yes, this was part of his early large-scale touring in South America, marking one of his first major stadium appearances in Brazil.

Did Paul McCartney return to Maracanã Stadium?

Yes. He returned decades later during the Got Back Tour, performing at the same venue on 16 December 2023.

What tour was this part of?

The concert was part of the Paul McCartney World Tour (1989–1990), which included extensive shows across Europe, North America, Asia, and South America.