Saturday 26 October 1963 | Live performances | Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, Sweden
The second concert date of the Beatles’ autumn 1963 Swedish tour brought them to Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm’s royal tennis hall, for two shows at 5pm and 8pm. The group appeared below Joey Dee and the Starliters on the Pop Festival bill.
The ticket and tour poster reproduced here connect the date to its advertised programme. The poster gives both performance times, while the ticket identifies the second show, at 8pm, and carries a printed price of 16 kronor.
These were two separate concerts on one date. They followed the opening pair of shows in Karlstad and formed part of a nine-concert itinerary across five Swedish cities.
Stockholm, 26 October 1963: essential facts
| Date | Saturday 26 October 1963 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm |
| Concerts | 5pm and 8pm, local time |
| Line-up | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr |
| Headline act | Joey Dee and the Starliters |
| Reported ticket range | 8–16 Swedish kronor |
| Supplied ticket | Second performance, 20:00; 16 kronor |
| Reported Beatles fee | ÂŁ140 for the night |
| Concert tour | Nine performances, 25–29 October 1963 |
The Swedish tour poster
The pink-and-white tour poster names Joey Dee and the Starliters, the Beatles, Jerry Williams, the Violents and Suzie. Its large date and two show times make the Stockholm engagement unmistakable.
The billing captures a moment before the Beatles’ subsequent worldwide dominance. Their popularity in Sweden did not make them the advertised headliners at every engagement. Here, they shared a multi-act programme headed by Joey Dee and the Starliters.
The ticket: second performance at 8pm
The words “2:a föreställningen” identify the second performance. The ticket also names Joey Dee, the Beatles and Jerry Williams, followed by “m.fl.”, meaning “and others”.
The printed 16-kronor price is consistent with the upper end of the reported 8–16 kronor range. It is the price on this ticket, not evidence that every person in the hall paid the same amount. The advertised start time likewise does not establish the precise minute the Beatles took the stage.
The likely nine-song repertoire
The commonly reconstructed Swedish-tour repertoire contains these nine songs:
- Roll Over Beethoven
- Please Please Me
- I Saw Her Standing There
- From Me to You
- A Taste of Honey
- Boys
- She Loves You
- Twist and Shout
- Long Tall Sally
This is a likely repertoire reconstruction, not a verified transcript of both Stockholm sets. Accounts differ on the tour’s running order, so the sequence above should not be treated as proof that every concert opened and closed with the same titles.
The selection combines original songs with material carried forward from the Beatles’ earlier live repertoire. Several titles also connect the programme to the debut album, including “Please Please Me”, “I Saw Her Standing There”, “A Taste of Honey”, “Boys” and “Twist and Shout”.
The complete Swedish concert itinerary
The concert run comprised nine performances over five dates. Each performance is listed separately, with times in local time:
- 25 October – Sundsta Läroverk, Karlstad, 7pm.
- 25 October – Sundsta Läroverk, Karlstad, 9pm.
- 26 October – Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, 5pm.
- 26 October – Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, 8pm.
- 27 October – Cirkus, Gothenburg, 3pm.
- 27 October – Cirkus, Gothenburg, 5pm.
- 27 October – Cirkus, Gothenburg, 8pm.
- 28 October – Boråshallen, Borås.
- 29 October – Sporthallen, Eskilstuna.
No unsupported starting time has been added to the last two engagements. The opening Karlstad date has its own linked article; the later dates remain plain text rather than linking to unrelated concerts in the same cities.
Radio and television were separate engagements
Before the concert run, the Beatles recorded a Stockholm radio session on 24 October. Read our Karlaplansstudion radio article for that performance.
The wider visit also included the recording of Drop In in Stockholm on 30 October, after the five-date concert itinerary. Radio and television appearances are not additional concerts in the nine-show count.
This distinction matters when identifying footage or recordings from Sweden. Material described only by country and year should not automatically be attributed to either tennis-hall show on 26 October.
After the evening concert
The dated account describes John Lennon and Ringo Starr going to a party held by Joey Dee at the Foresta Hotel. Paul McCartney and George Harrison instead returned to the Continental Hotel, where the Beatles stayed that night.
The two hotels have different roles in the story. The Foresta party should not be turned into a claim that all four Beatles stayed there, nor should the account be expanded with invented conversations or precise after-show timings.
Location map: Kungliga Tennishallen
The royal tennis hall stands on Lidingövägen in Stockholm. This map gives geographical context, not a reconstruction of the 1963 stage or seating plan.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Beatles play in Stockholm on 26 October 1963?
At Kungliga Tennishallen, the royal tennis hall.
How many shows did they give?
Two, advertised at 5pm and 8pm local time.
Who headed the bill?
Joey Dee and the Starliters, with the Beatles appearing below them.
What does the ticket show?
The second performance at 20:00 on 26 October, with a printed price of 16 kronor.
Is the nine-song setlist confirmed for both shows?
No. It is a likely tour repertoire reconstruction, not two verified Stockholm running orders.
How many concerts were on the Swedish tour?
Nine concerts across five dates, from 25 to 29 October 1963. Separate radio and television sessions are not part of that count.
Continue exploring: Karlstad, 25 October 1963 · Stockholm radio, 24 October 1963 · On This Day in Beatles History.
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