Sunday 25 October 1964 | Live | Hippodrome Theatre, Brighton, England
On 25 October 1964, the Beatles performed two shows at Brighton Hippodrome, on the 14th date of their autumn British tour. The visit was their third and final Beatles concert engagement in Brighton, following appearances at the same venue on 2 June 1963 and 12 July 1964.
The evening’s programmes began at 6pm and 8.45pm. Those are the show times, not independently verified times for the Beatles’ own entrance. The group headed a package bill with several supporting acts and a compère.
Our 12 July 1964 Brighton Hippodrome article covers the earlier visit that year. This October engagement belongs to a separate 27-date tour, listed in full below.
Brighton 1964: the essential concert facts
| Date | Sunday 25 October 1964 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Hippodrome Theatre, Brighton |
| Performances | Two |
| Show times | 6pm and 8.45pm |
| Tour position | 14th of 27 dates on the autumn British tour |
| Brighton sequence | Third and final Beatles concert visit |
| Listed Beatles set | Ten songs |
| Compère | Bob Bain |
| Previous tour date | Granada, Walthamstow, 24 October |
| Next tour date | ABC, Exeter, 28 October |
A third return to the Hippodrome
The Beatles first played Brighton Hippodrome on 2 June 1963, returning on 12 July 1964. Their October appearance therefore brought them back to a venue already established in their performing history.
Calling this their final Brighton visit refers to the Beatles’ concert itinerary, not to every later appearance or private visit by an individual member. It also should not be confused with New Brighton on Merseyside, a different location associated with the Tower Ballroom.
The previous evening they had played in London. Read our Granada Cinema, Walthamstow article for 24 October 1964 for the immediately preceding tour stop.
Two performances on one tour date
The autumn tour used a two-show format. An audience attending the early programme and an audience attending the late programme each saw the package of performers, including the Beatles’ headline contribution.
This is why a 27-date itinerary should not be mistaken for a total of only 27 Beatles performances. The route lists engagement dates and venues; the two nightly shows are a separate count.
The retrospective account reports a Beatles fee of £850 per tour night. That figure should not be doubled as if it were a confirmed payment for each individual performance, and it is not a statement of profit or the venue’s total ticket receipts.
The Beatles and the supporting bill
- John Lennon — vocals and guitar.
- Paul McCartney — vocals and bass guitar.
- George Harrison — guitar and vocals.
- Ringo Starr — drums and vocals.
The tour’s supporting acts were The Rustiks, Sounds Incorporated, Michael Haslam, The Remo Four, Tommy Quickly and Mary Wells, with Bob Bain as compère.
The supporting bill is part of the concert’s structure, not a list of guest musicians who joined the Beatles for the ten-song set. It helps explain the difference between the advertised programme’s start time and the moment the headline group appeared.
The ten-song Brighton setlist
Concert listings give the following ten-song sequence for both shows. It is presented as the documented retrospective setlist, not as a claim that a complete recording of each performance has been verified.
- Twist And Shout
- Money (That’s What I Want)
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- Things We Said Today
- I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
- I Should Have Known Better
- If I Fell
- I Wanna Be Your Man
- A Hard Day’s Night
- Long Tall Sally
A Hard Day’s Night at the centre of the programme
Six titles in the listed set also appeared on the British A Hard Day’s Night album: “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “Things We Said Today”, “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You”, “I Should Have Known Better”, “If I Fell” and the title song.
That gives the concert a strong connection with the Beatles’ 1964 screen-and-record success. The programme was not simply a collection of their earliest singles, nor was it a complete performance of the album.
The other selections supplied a contrasting strand. “Twist And Shout”, “Money” and “Long Tall Sally” brought forceful cover material into the set, while “I Wanna Be Your Man” provided Ringo’s vocal feature.
Complete autumn 1964 British tour itinerary
All 27 engagement dates are listed below. Each date followed the tour’s two-show format. The verified Walthamstow article is linked; other stops remain plain text, ready to connect as their articles are added.
October 1964
- 9 October 1964 — Gaumont, Bradford
- 10 October 1964 — De Montfort Hall, Leicester
- 11 October 1964 — Odeon, Birmingham
- 13 October 1964 — ABC, Wigan
- 14 October 1964 — ABC, Manchester
- 15 October 1964 — Globe, Stockton-on-Tees
- 16 October 1964 — ABC, Hull
- 19 October 1964 — ABC, Edinburgh
- 20 October 1964 — Caird Hall, Dundee
- 21 October 1964 — Odeon, Glasgow
- 22 October 1964 — Odeon, Leeds
- 23 October 1964 — Gaumont State, Kilburn, London
- 24 October 1964 — Granada, Walthamstow, London
- 25 October 1964 — Hippodrome, Brighton — this article
- 28 October 1964 — ABC, Exeter
- 29 October 1964 — ABC, Plymouth
- 30 October 1964 — Gaumont, Bournemouth
- 31 October 1964 — Gaumont, Ipswich
November 1964
- 1 November 1964 — Astoria, Finsbury Park, London
- 2 November 1964 — King’s Hall, Belfast
- 4 November 1964 — Ritz, Luton
- 5 November 1964 — Odeon, Nottingham
- 6 November 1964 — Gaumont, Southampton
- 7 November 1964 — Capitol, Cardiff
- 8 November 1964 — Empire, Liverpool
- 9 November 1964 — City Hall, Sheffield
- 10 November 1964 — Colston Hall, Bristol
The gap after Brighton is part of the route: the next tour engagement was Exeter on 28 October. The absence of a concert entry on an intervening date should not automatically be described as a holiday or a day without other work.
Venue map: Brighton Hippodrome
The map identifies Brighton Hippodrome on Middle Street for geographical context. It is not a reconstruction of the 1964 stage, seating or entrances, and it should not be confused with a map of New Brighton on Merseyside.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Beatles play Brighton Hippodrome in October 1964?
On Sunday 25 October 1964, the 14th date of their autumn British tour.
How many shows were there that evening?
Two programmes, beginning at 6pm and 8.45pm. Those times are not verified Beatles stage-entry times.
Was this the Beatles’ final Brighton concert visit?
Yes. It followed visits to the same venue on 2 June 1963 and 12 July 1964.
How many songs were listed for the Beatles’ set?
Ten, opening with Twist And Shout and ending with Long Tall Sally in the retrospective concert listings.
How many dates were on the autumn tour?
Twenty-seven engagement dates, from Bradford on 9 October to Bristol on 10 November 1964, with two shows per date.
Where did the tour continue after Brighton?
At the ABC in Exeter on 28 October 1964.
Continue exploring: Brighton Hippodrome, 12 July 1964 · Walthamstow, 24 October 1964 · Complete British tour itinerary · On This Day in Beatles History.
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