Paul McCartney Live at the Sportaréna, Budapest – 15 May 2003
Thursday 15 May 2003 | Live Performance | Papp László Sportaréna, Budapest, Hungary
On the evening of Thursday 15th May 2003, Paul McCartney performed at the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary — the 26th date of the Back in the World Tour, a 33-show European run that had begun in Paris in March and would conclude in Liverpool in June. The Budapest show came the day after Vienna and two days before the first of two outdoor shows at Königsplatz in Munich — placing it at the heart of the tour’s central European sequence.
The Papp László Sportaréna, Budapest
The Papp László Sportaréna — named after the Hungarian boxing legend László Papp, the first European to win three Olympic gold medals in boxing — is Budapest’s principal indoor arena, located in the Kőbánya district of the city. With a capacity of around 12,500 for concerts, it is the largest indoor venue in Hungary and the natural home for major international touring acts visiting the Hungarian capital.
The venue has hosted some of the most significant live performances in Hungarian entertainment history. Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed there on 28 June 2011, making the Sportaréna a venue with its own Beatles-adjacent history on both sides of the stage.
The Band
- Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens — vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, harmonica
- Brian Ray — vocals, guitar, bass
- Rusty Anderson — vocals, guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr — vocals, drums
This was the same tight-knit ensemble McCartney had assembled for the Driving Rain Tour in 2001 and had continued with through the Driving World Tour in 2002. Wix Wickens had been with McCartney since 1989; Ray and Anderson had joined for 2001; Abe Laboriel Jr brought exceptional musicality to the drum chair. The lineup remains McCartney’s touring band to this day.
The Back in the World Tour: Context
The Back in the World Tour was the European continuation of the Back in the US Tour, which had taken McCartney across North America in 2002 and been documented on the live album of the same name. The European leg — 33 dates across France, Spain, Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Ireland, and a homecoming in Liverpool — included some of the most spectacular individual shows of McCartney’s career.
Just days before Budapest, on 10 and 11 May, McCartney had performed at the Colosseum in Rome — the first rock concerts ever held at the ancient amphitheatre. On 24 May, he would play Red Square in Moscow to an audience of 100,000. The Budapest show sat between these two landmarks, part of an extraordinary sequence of central and eastern European dates.
The Setlist
The 39-song Budapest set was one of the most comprehensive surveys of McCartney’s career assembled for a single concert, spanning the full arc from early Beatles to Wings to solo work. ‘Something’ was performed on ukulele as a tribute to George Harrison. ‘Here Today’ honoured John Lennon. ‘Live and Let Die’ arrived with pyrotechnics; ‘Hey Jude’ extended into a mass singalong; the show closed with ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)’ and ‘The End’.
- Hello, Goodbye
- Jet
- All My Loving
- Getting Better
- Let Me Roll It
- Lonely Road
- Your Loving Flame
- Blackbird
- Every Night
- We Can Work It Out
- You Never Give Me Your Money
- Carry That Weight
- The Fool on the Hill
- Here Today
- Something
- Yellow Submarine
- Eleanor Rigby
- Here, There and Everywhere
- I’ve Just Seen a Face
- Calico Skies
- Two of Us
- Michelle
- Band on the Run
- Back in the USSR
- Maybe I’m Amazed
- Let ‘Em In
- My Love
- She’s Leaving Home
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- Birthday
- Live and Let Die
- Let It Be
- Hey Jude
- The Long and Winding Road
- Lady Madonna
- I Saw Her Standing There
- Yesterday
- Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
- The End
Back in the World Tour: Full Date List
- 25 March 2003 — Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 28 March 2003 — Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
- 29 March 2003 — Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
- 1 April 2003 — Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
- 2 April 2003 — Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
- 5 April 2003 — Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, England
- 9 April 2003 — MEN Arena, Manchester, England
- 10 April 2003 — MEN Arena, Manchester, England
- 13 April 2003 — National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England
- 14 April 2003 — National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England
- 18 April 2003 — Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England
- 19 April 2003 — Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England
- 21 April 2003 — Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England
- 22 April 2003 — Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England
- 25 April 2003 — GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands
- 27 April 2003 — Kölnarena, Cologne, Germany
- 28 April 2003 — Kölnarena, Cologne, Germany
- 30 April 2003 — Preussag Arena, Hanover, Germany
- 2 May 2003 — Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 4 May 2003 — Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
- 5 May 2003 — Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
- 8 May 2003 — König-Pilsener-Arena, Oberhausen, Germany
- 10 May 2003 — Colosseum, Rome, Italy
- 11 May 2003 — Piazza del Colosseo, Rome, Italy
- 14 May 2003 — Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
- 15 May 2003 — Sportaréna, Budapest, Hungary ★
- 17 May 2003 — Königsplatz, Munich, Germany
- 18 May 2003 — Königsplatz, Munich, Germany
- 21 May 2003 — AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany
- 24 May 2003 — Red Square, Moscow, Russia
- 27 May 2003 — RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 29 May 2003 — Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, England
- 1 June 2003 — King’s Dock, Liverpool, England
Key Facts: 15 May 2003
- Date: Thursday 15 May 2003
- Venue: Papp László Sportaréna, Budapest, Hungary
- Tour: Back in the World Tour
- Show number: 26 of 33
- Songs performed: 39
- Previous show: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, 14 May 2003
- Next shows: Königsplatz, Munich, 17–18 May 2003
- Also at this venue: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, 28 June 2011
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Paul McCartney play Budapest?
Yes — Paul McCartney performed at the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest on 15 May 2003, the 26th date of the Back in the World Tour. It was his only Budapest appearance on the tour.
What did Paul McCartney play in Budapest in 2003?
McCartney performed a 39-song set spanning his full career, including Beatles classics, Wings hits, and solo material. Highlights included ‘Something’ on ukulele (a tribute to George Harrison), ‘Here Today’ (for John Lennon), ‘Live and Let Die’, ‘Hey Jude’, and the closing ‘The End’.
What was the Back in the World Tour?
The Back in the World Tour was a 33-date European tour that ran from 25 March to 1 June 2003. It included the first rock concerts at the Colosseum in Rome (10–11 May) and a landmark show at Red Square in Moscow (24 May) to an audience of 100,000.
Who was in Paul McCartney’s band in 2003?
McCartney’s 2003 touring band was Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (guitar/bass), Rusty Anderson (guitar), and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums) — the same lineup assembled for the Driving Rain Tour in 2001.
Did Ringo Starr play the Sportaréna in Budapest?
Yes — Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed at the Papp László Sportaréna on 28 June 2011, making it a venue with a significant Beatles-related performance history on both sides of the stage.
→ 14 May 2003: Paul McCartney Live at the Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna →
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