Paul McCartney Driving World Tour 2002 – Complete Tour Dates, Setlist & History

Paul McCartney: Driving World Tour 2002

The Driving World Tour was Paul McCartney's major global concert campaign of 2002 — his first extensive live production since the New World Tour in 1993 and his first major return to arenas following the death of Linda McCartney in 1998. This page is the complete Beatles Fabdom reference for the tour.

Tour Overview

  • Tour name: Driving World Tour
  • Artist: Paul McCartney
  • Dates: 1 April – 18 November 2002
  • Total shows: 58 concerts
  • Countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan
  • Supporting album: Driving Rain (2001)
  • Live albums: Back In The US (North America, November 2002) / Back In The World (international, March 2003)

Background

After nearly a decade away from large-scale touring, Paul McCartney returned to arenas in 2002 with a campaign that drew on his full musical legacy — from early Beatles classics through Wings anthems to his most recent solo work. The tour took its name from his 2001 studio album Driving Rain, his first collection of new material since Flaming Pie (1997).

The 2002 tour was widely regarded as one of the most emotionally resonant of McCartney's solo career. Playing to hundreds of thousands of fans across North America, Mexico, and Japan, it demonstrated that his connection with live audiences remained as powerful as ever. Recordings from the tour were released on two live albums: Back In The US for the North American market and Back In The World for international audiences.

Touring Band

  • Paul McCartney – vocals, bass, guitar, piano, mandolin
  • Paul “Wix” Wickens – keyboards, guitar, vocals, percussion, harmonica
  • Brian Ray – guitar, bass, vocals
  • Rusty Anderson – guitar, vocals
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums, vocals

Full Concert Setlist

The setlist was largely consistent across all 58 dates, running to 37 songs and spanning McCartney's entire career from The Beatles through Wings to his 2001 solo material:

  1. Hello, Goodbye
  2. Jet
  3. All My Loving
  4. Getting Better
  5. Coming Up
  6. Let Me Roll It
  7. Lonely Road
  8. Driving Rain
  9. Your Loving Flame
  10. Blackbird
  11. Every Night
  12. We Can Work It Out
  13. Mother Nature's Son
  14. Vanilla Sky
  15. You Never Give Me Your Money
  16. Carry That Weight
  17. The Fool On The Hill
  18. Here Today
  19. Something
  20. Eleanor Rigby
  21. Here, There And Everywhere
  22. Band On The Run
  23. Back In The USSR
  24. Maybe I'm Amazed
  25. C Moon
  26. My Love
  27. Can't Buy Me Love
  28. Freedom
  29. Live And Let Die
  30. Let It Be
  31. Hey Jude
  32. The Long And Winding Road
  33. Lady Madonna
  34. I Saw Her Standing There
  35. Yesterday
  36. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
  37. The End

Live Recordings

Two official live albums document the Driving World Tour:

  • Back In The US (released November 2002) — North American release drawn from the US leg
  • Back In The World (released March 2003) — the international version of the same recordings

Confirmed recordings from specific concerts include Maybe I'm Amazed from the Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford (17 April 2002), and Hello, Goodbye from The Palace, Auburn Hills (1 May 2002). Additional tracks from Let Me Roll It, Driving Rain, and Here, There And Everywhere were also drawn from the broader North American leg.

Complete Tour Dates

Dates marked * have dedicated On This Day articles in the Beatles Fabdom archive.

Spring North America Leg — April/May 2002

Date Venue City Country Att.
1 Apr 2002 Oakland Arena Oakland, CA USA –
3 Apr 2002 HP Pavilion San Jose, CA USA –
5 Apr 2002 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, NV USA –
6 Apr 2002 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, NV USA –
10 Apr 2002 United Center Chicago, IL USA –
11 Apr 2002 * United Center Chicago, IL USA –
13 Apr 2002 * Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON Canada 16,169
16 Apr 2002 * First Union Center Philadelphia, PA USA 15,536
17 Apr 2002 * Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, NJ USA 16,740
19 Apr 2002 FleetCenter Boston, MA USA –
21 Apr 2002 * Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY USA –
23 Apr 2002 MCI Center Washington, DC USA –
24 Apr 2002 * MCI Center Washington, DC USA –
26 Apr 2002 * Madison Square Garden New York City, NY USA –
27 Apr 2002 * Madison Square Garden New York City, NY USA –
29 Apr 2002 Gund Arena Cleveland, OH USA –
1 May 2002 * The Palace Auburn Hills, MI USA 17,356
4 May 2002 Staples Center Los Angeles, CA USA –
5 May 2002 Arrowhead Pond Anaheim, CA USA –
7 May 2002 Pepsi Center Denver, CO USA –
9 May 2002 Reunion Arena Dallas, TX USA –
10 May 2002 Reunion Arena Dallas, TX USA –
12 May 2002 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA USA –
13 May 2002 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA USA –
15 May 2002 Ice Palace Tampa, FL USA –
17 May 2002 National Car Rental Center Sunrise, FL USA –
18 May 2002 National Car Rental Center Sunrise, FL USA –

Autumn North America Leg — September/October 2002

After a summer break, McCartney returned to North American arenas for a second leg covering the Midwest, East Coast, South, and West Coast:

Date Venue City Country Att.
21 Sep 2002 Bradley Center Milwaukee, WI USA –
23 Sep 2002 Xcel Energy Center St Paul, MN USA –
24 Sep 2002 United Center Chicago, IL USA –
27 Sep 2002 Civic Center Hartford, CT USA –
28 Sep 2002 Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ USA –
30 Sep 2002 FleetCenter Boston, MA USA –
1 Oct 2002 FleetCenter Boston, MA USA –
4 Oct 2002 Gund Arena Cleveland, OH USA –
5 Oct 2002 Conseco Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN USA –
7 Oct 2002 RBC Center Raleigh, NC USA –
9 Oct 2002 Savvis Center St Louis, MO USA –
10 Oct 2002 Value City Arena Columbus, OH USA –
12 Oct 2002 New Orleans Arena New Orleans, LA USA –
13 Oct 2002 Compaq Center Houston, TX USA –
15 Oct 2002 Ford Center Oklahoma City, OK USA –
18 Oct 2002 Rose Garden Portland, OR USA –
19 Oct 2002 Tacoma Dome Tacoma, WA USA –
21 Oct 2002 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA USA –
22 Oct 2002 HP Pavilion San Jose, CA USA –
25 Oct 2002 Arrowhead Pond Anaheim, CA USA –
26 Oct 2002 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, NV USA –
28 Oct 2002 Staples Center Los Angeles, CA USA –
29 Oct 2002 America West Arena Phoenix, AZ USA –

Mexico Leg — November 2002

Date Venue City Country Att.
2 Nov 2002 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City Mexico –
3 Nov 2002 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City Mexico –
5 Nov 2002 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City Mexico –

Japan Leg — November 2002

Date Venue City Country Att.
11 Nov 2002 Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan –
13 Nov 2002 Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan –
14 Nov 2002 Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan –
17 Nov 2002 Kyocera Dome Osaka Japan –
18 Nov 2002 Kyocera Dome Osaka Japan –

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shows were on the Driving World Tour?

58 concerts across four countries — the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Japan — running from 1 April to 18 November 2002.

What album did the Driving World Tour support?

Driving Rain (2001), McCartney's first album of new studio material since Flaming Pie (1997).

What was the full setlist for the Driving World Tour?

The 37-song setlist is listed in full above. It was largely consistent across all 58 dates, opening with Hello, Goodbye and closing with The End.

Were any Driving World Tour concerts officially released?

Yes — performances from the tour were released on Back In The US (November 2002) and Back In The World (March 2003).

Who was in Paul McCartney's band on the Driving World Tour?

Paul “Wix” Wickens, Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson, and Abe Laboriel Jr. This lineup has remained McCartney's core touring band ever since.

Was the Driving World Tour McCartney's first tour since Linda died?

Yes. Linda McCartney passed away in April 1998. The 2002 Driving World Tour was Paul's first major touring campaign since her death.

Did Paul McCartney play Madison Square Garden on the Driving World Tour?

Yes — two consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden on 26 April and 27 April 2002.

Did the Driving World Tour go to Japan?

Yes — three nights at the Tokyo Dome (11, 13, 14 November) and two nights at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka (17–18 November).

Did Paul McCartney play Mexico on the Driving World Tour?

Yes — three consecutive nights at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on 2, 3, and 5 November 2002.

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