25 April in Beatles History – Complete On This Day Timeline

What Happened On 25 April In Beatles History?

This page is part of a complete Beatles history archive covering every day of the year. Below is a chronological list of all known events that took place on 25 April throughout Beatles history.

25 April 1961 – The Beatles Live at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg

On Saturday 25 April 1961, The Beatles performed their 25th night at the Top Ten Club on Hamburg's Reeperbahn — one of the legendary residencies that forged the Fab Four into the world's greatest live band. Playing up to seven hours per night, these marathon sessions were instrumental in developing their ferocious live sound. Each member earned 35 Deutsche Marks per day (~£3). By the time they left Hamburg on 1 July 1961, they had performed 503 hours across 92 nights.

Read the full story: The Beatles at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg – 25 April 1961

25 April 1962 – The Beatles Live at the Star-Club, Hamburg

On Wednesday 25 April 1962, The Beatles performed their 12th night at Hamburg's Star-Club during their first of three residencies at the venue that year. Running from 13 April to 31 May 1962, this stint saw The Beatles play approximately 172 hours on stage — with only one night off (Good Friday). It was their third major Hamburg residency, following earlier runs at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, and Top Ten Club.

Read the full story: The Beatles at the Star-Club, Hamburg – 25 April 1962

25 April 1963 – The Beatles Live at Mersey Beat Showcase, Croydon

On Thursday 25 April 1963, The Beatles headlined the fourth Mersey Beat Showcase at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, Surrey — elevated to top billing after scheduled headliner John Leyton fell ill. Other performers included Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer, and The Big Three. A 15-year-old attendee named Andy Wright captured candid backstage photos with a single roll of film, including a now-significant group shot.

Read the full story: The Beatles at Mersey Beat Showcase, Croydon – 25 April 1963

25 April 1963 – The Beatles Photographed by Fiona Adams in London

Also on Thursday 25 April 1963, photographer Fiona Adams captured the iconic “jumping Beatles” image in a bomb-damaged wasteland near Euston Road, London — shooting for Boyfriend magazine. The informal shoot involved the band leaping from unstable rubble while Adams framed the shot from below. The image was later used uncredited on the cover of the Twist And Shout EP (July 1963).

Read the full story: The Beatles Photographed by Fiona Adams – 25 April 1963

25 April 1964 – The Beatles Rehearse for Around The Beatles ITV Special

On Saturday 25 April 1964, The Beatles held their second rehearsal for the ITV special Around The Beatles at the Hall of Remembrance in Chelsea, London. Produced by Rediffusion for ITV and filmed on 28 April 1964, the show featured live performances, comedy sketches, and theatrical segments — a transitional moment as The Beatles expanded their TV presence beyond straightforward live appearances.

Read the full story: The Beatles Rehearse for Around The Beatles ITV Special – 25 April 1964

25 April 1966 – The Beatles Mix 'Got To Get You Into My Life' at Abbey Road

On Monday 25 April 1966, engineer Peter Vince created two rough mono mixes of Got To Get You Into My Life in Room 65 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road — strictly functional reference mixes for acetate pressings, left completely dry with no echo or effects. Work on Revolver was well underway; the proper mono and stereo mixes were completed on 18 May 1966.

Read the full story: Got To Get You Into My Life Mixing Session – 25 April 1966

25 April 1967 – The Beatles Record 'Magical Mystery Tour' at Abbey Road

On Tuesday 25 April 1967, The Beatles began recording Magical Mystery Tour at EMI Studios, Abbey Road — with Paul McCartney directing from the piano. Three takes of the backing track were recorded (two guitars, piano, drums), with take three selected as best. Five reduction mixes were made to free up tape space, and a traffic noise loop from EMI's sound effects library was prepared for later incorporation into the final mix on 7 November 1967.

Read the full story: Recording 'Magical Mystery Tour' at Abbey Road – 25 April 1967

25 April 1969 – The Beatles Mix 'Two Of Us' for Mortimer at Abbey Road

On Friday 25 April 1969, engineer Peter Mew prepared a rough mono mix of Two Of Us in Room 4 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road — a reference acetate for Paul McCartney to pass to the American trio Mortimer, whom he intended to produce for Apple Records. McCartney oversaw Mortimer's version in May 1969, but the recording was never officially released.

Read the full story: The Beatles Mix 'Two Of Us' for Mortimer – 25 April 1969

25 April 1971 – John Lennon Returns to London After Mallorca Arrest

On Sunday 25 April 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono returned to London after a turbulent few days in Spain. They had been arrested in Palma de Mallorca on 23 April during an attempt to regain custody of Ono's daughter Kyoko. After their release, they spent the night in Paris before flying home — part of a prolonged and deeply emotional custody battle.

Read the full story: John Lennon Returns to London After Mallorca Arrest – 25 April 1971

25 April 1973 – Wings Record 'Zoo Gang' Theme at Abbey Road

On Wednesday 25 April 1973, Wings began recording Zoo Gang at EMI Studios, Abbey Road — commissioned as the theme for the ATV television drama The Zoo Gang (1974). Paul McCartney produced the session with Alan Parsons engineering. Fifteen takes of the backing track were recorded, with the final take selected as master. A loose improvisation called Zoological Blow was also taped. The track was completed on 7 May 1973 with an accordion overdub.

Read the full story: Wings Record 'Zoo Gang' at Abbey Road – 25 April 1973

25 April 1976 – Final Meeting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney

On Sunday 25 April 1976, Paul McCartney arrived unannounced at the Dakota building in New York — and was turned away at the door by John Lennon. It would prove to be their final in-person encounter. Lennon later described the relationship as broadly amicable but strained by the practicalities of their separate lives. McCartney travelled to Dallas the same day, where Wings began rehearsals for the US leg of their world tour. They remained in contact by phone but never met face-to-face again.

Read the full story: Final Meeting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney – 25 April 1976

25 April 2003 – Paul McCartney Live at GelreDome, Arnhem

On Friday 25 April 2003, Paul McCartney performed at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands — the 15th date of his Back In The World Tour. He was backed by his touring band: Paul “Wix” Wickens, Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson, and Abe Laboriel Jr. McCartney later returned to the GelreDome in 2009 during the Good Evening Europe Tour.

Read the full story: Paul McCartney Live at GelreDome, Arnhem – 25 April 2003

25 April 2012 – Paul McCartney Live in Florianópolis

On Wednesday 25 April 2012, Paul McCartney performed at the Estádio da Ressacada in Florianópolis, Brazil — the 29th date of his On The Run Tour. The show featured a notable setlist adjustment, replacing Helter Skelter with Birthday and I Saw Her Standing There in the second encore. McCartney returned to the same venue on 19 October 2024 as part of the Got Back Tour.

Read the full story: Paul McCartney Live in Florianópolis – 25 April 2012

25 April 2014 – Paul McCartney Live in Lima

On Friday 25 April 2014, Paul McCartney performed at the Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru — the 36th date of his Out There Tour (a 91-show global run spanning May 2013 to October 2015). The Lima show drew strong audience engagement, with band members posting celebratory messages on social media. McCartney returned to the Estadio Nacional on 27 October 2024 during the Got Back Tour.

Read the full story: Paul McCartney Live in Lima – 25 April 2014

25 April 2015 – Paul McCartney Live at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

On Saturday 25 April 2015, Paul McCartney performed at the Tokyo Dome — the 67th show of his Out There Tour and the second of three consecutive nights at the venue. McCartney had previously performed at the Tokyo Dome in 1993, 2002, and 2013, and returned again in 2017 and 2018.

Read the full story: Paul McCartney Live at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo – 25 April 2015

25 April 2017 – Paul McCartney Live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo

On Wednesday 25 April 2017, Paul McCartney performed at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo — the 41st show of his One On One Tour, attended by approximately 11,296 fans. The Budokan holds a special place in Beatles history: The Beatles performed three landmark shows there in 1966, and McCartney had previously performed a solo show at the venue on 28 April 2015.

Read the full story: Paul McCartney Live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo – 25 April 2017

Related Hub Pages

The Beatles Films: Complete Guide – A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour & Let It Be
April in Beatles History – All documented events from April across Beatles history