Wednesday 26 October 1960 | Live performance | Kaiserkeller, Hamburg, Germany
On 26 October 1960, the Beatles played the 23rd night of their residency at the Kaiserkeller, at 36 GroĂźe Freiheit in Hamburg. They shared the bill with fellow Liverpool group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, alternating sets through the night.
This was part of the Beatles’ first Hamburg visit, before their record-making career and before Ringo Starr joined the group. The daily chronology places the Kaiserkeller run between 4 October and 28 November 1960, a sequence of 56 nights.
26 October 1960: the essential facts
| Date | Wednesday 26 October 1960 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kaiserkeller |
| Address | 36 GroĂźe Freiheit, Hamburg, Germany |
| Residency position | Night 23 of 56 |
| Shared bill | Rory Storm and the Hurricanes |
| Format | Alternating sets through the night |
| Detailed residency dates | 4 October–28 November 1960 |
| Exact nightly setlist | Not established for this date |
Another working night in Hamburg
The significance of this Wednesday lies in its place within a sustained run, rather than in a documented one-off premiere or special occasion. The Beatles were repeatedly taking the stage in a club environment, sharing the evening’s work with another Liverpool band.
Alternating sets is not the same as the modern arrangement of one support act followed by a single headline performance. It describes groups taking turns during the night, with the musicians’ working schedule extending beyond one short appearance.
The account does not provide a verified arrival time, an exact number of Beatles sets or a minute-by-minute running order for 26 October. Those details should not be supplied by copying a general description of the residency and presenting it as an individual concert log.
The Beatles’ 1960 line-up
The band during this first Hamburg period comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Sutcliffe’s bass-playing role and Best’s presence at the drums distinguish this line-up from the four Beatles most familiar from later records.
It would therefore be inaccurate to describe this night as a performance by the later Lennon–McCartney–Harrison–Starr quartet. Equally, McCartney’s later role as the band’s regular bassist should not simply be projected backwards onto every performance in 1960.
Ringo’s connection with the shared bill belongs to Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, not to a claim that he was already the Beatles’ drummer. The proximity of the Liverpool musicians forms part of their overlapping Hamburg history, while the two bands remained separate performing groups.
From the Indra to the Kaiserkeller
The Kaiserkeller engagement followed the Beatles’ earlier work at the Indra Club. Both venues belong to the story of their first Hamburg visit, but they are not interchangeable names for the same room.
The move to the Kaiserkeller on 4 October begins the 56-night sequence used here. Counting from that opening date places 26 October at night 23.
Our 24 October Kaiserkeller article and 25 October article cover the two preceding dates. They are neighbouring entries in the residency, not duplicate accounts of this Wednesday.
What did they play?
No exact setlist for 26 October is established in the dated account. It would be misleading to turn a general list of early Beatles repertoire into a supposedly complete running order for this night.
Later Hamburg recordings, particularly those associated with the Star-Club, document a different period. They should not be used as if they were a recording of the Kaiserkeller engagement in October 1960.
That distinction also applies to merchandise and photographs. A Hamburg-themed item can be relevant to the broader story without depicting the musicians, venue or performance of this particular date.
The complete 56-night residency calendar
Every date in the detailed 4 October–28 November sequence is included below. All performances were at the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg. The linked dates have verified existing articles; 26 October is the night covered here.
October 1960: nights 1–28
4 October; 5 October; 6 October; 7 October; 8 October; 9 October; 10 October; 11 October; 12 October; 13 October; 14 October; 15 October; 16 October; 17 October; 18 October; 19 October; 20 October; 21 October; 22 October; 23 October; 24 October; 25 October; 26 October — this performance; 27 October; 28 October; 29 October; 30 October; 31 October.
November 1960: nights 29–56
1 November; 2 November; 3 November; 4 November; 5 November; 6 November; 7 November; 8 November; 9 November; 10 November; 11 November; 12 November; 13 November; 14 November; 15 November; 16 November; 17 November; 18 November; 19 November; 20 November; 21 November; 22 November; 23 November; 24 November; 25 November; 26 November; 27 November; 28 November.
The end date and the following day’s arrests
The detailed chronology identifies 28 November as the 56th and final Kaiserkeller night. The arrests of Paul McCartney and Pete Best are dated 29 November and should be kept separate from that final performance.
Some broad summaries use 30 November when describing the close of the engagement. This entry follows the explicitly enumerated 56-night performance sequence rather than silently combining different end-date conventions.
Neither the arrests nor the final night should be moved into the account of 26 October. They provide later context for how the residency ended, not an event that had already occurred during this Wednesday’s show.
Location map: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
The historical venue is identified at 36 Große Freiheit. The map provides location context; it is not a reconstruction of the club’s interior or stage layout in 1960.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Beatles play on 26 October 1960?
At the Kaiserkeller, 36 GroĂźe Freiheit, Hamburg, Germany.
Which night of the residency was this?
The 23rd night in the detailed 56-night sequence beginning on 4 October 1960.
Who shared the bill?
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. The two Liverpool groups alternated sets through the night.
Was Ringo Starr the Beatles’ drummer?
No. Pete Best was their drummer during this engagement. Ringo played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
Is an exact setlist established for this night?
No exact running order is established in the dated account. Later Hamburg setlists should not be substituted for it.
When does the detailed residency chronology end?
On 28 November 1960, the 56th night. The arrests of McCartney and Best followed on 29 November.
Continue exploring: Kaiserkeller, 24 October 1960 · Kaiserkeller, 25 October 1960 · On This Day in Beatles History.
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