English musician Paul McCartney has participated in a number of concert tours across several eras of his musical career. With the British–American rock band Wings, he undertook five major tours, with one, the Wings Over the World tour, being worldwide. Following Wings' final 1979 tour of the UK, McCartney did not undergo a major concert tour for ten years. As a solo artist, McCartney has undergone sixteen major concert tours, nine being worldwide. His first was the Paul McCartney World Tour (1989–90) and his most recent being the Got Back tour (2022–2025).
With Wings
The British–American rock band Wings was Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band who were active from 1971 to 1981. Their primary line-up was McCartney, his wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine, formerly of the Moody Blues. Throughout their years as a band, they embarked on a number of concert tours, varying in scale from their initial "DIY" tour of British universities to the epic Wings Over the World tour.
Shortly after forming Wings, the McCartneys took the band on an impromptu tour of the United Kingdom's universities in early 1972, showing up unannounced and performing for whoever happened to be on campus. The band's intended first stop on the tour, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, refused to allow them to play, so the band moved on to the more receptive University of Nottingham. Admission to the first show was £0.50, proceeds being split up equally among the band members.
The last Concert for the People of Kampuchea on 29 December 1979, which was the final date of Wings' fifth tour, was Wings' final gig.
However, Wings achieved notoriety for its aborted sixth tour, a January 1980 tour of Japan, which was cancelled before it even started when Paul McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana while entering Japan on 16 January 1980 and was eventually deported on 25 January after nine days in prison, without Wings ever performing. Wings never again attempted a tour prior to their breakup in 1981.
List of Wings tours Wings University Tour – 11 shows in the UK, 1972 Wings Over Europe Tour – 26 shows throughout Europe, 1972 Wings 1973 UK Tour – 21 shows in the UK, 1973 Wings Over the World tour – 66 shows over the world, 1975–1976 Wings UK Tour 1979 – 19 shows in the UK, 1979 + 1 show on 29 December 1979 (the last of the 4 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea)
Solo
Solo tours
+ Title Start date End date Shows Gross Revenue The Paul McCartney World Tour26 September 198929 July 1990103 Unplugged Tour 19918 May 199124 July 19916 The New World Tour18 February 199316 December 199377 Driving World Tour1 April 200218 November 200258$126,100,000 Back in the World tour25 March 20031 June 200333 '04 Summer Tour25 May 200426 June 200414 The 'US' Tour17 September 200530 November 200537$60,000,000 The top 10 tours of 2005 | PopWatch | EW.com Secret Tour 20077 June 200725 October 20076 Summer Live '0911 July 200919 August 200910$33,650,567 Good Evening Europe Tour2 December 200922 December 20098 Up and Coming Tour28 March 201010 June 201142 On the Run15 July 201129 November 201237 Out There4 May 201322 October 201591 One on One13 April 201616 December 201777$242,600,000 2018 Secret Gigs9 June 201826 July 20185$0 Freshen Up17 September 201813 July 201939 Got Back28 April 202225 November 202579
Solo unique shows No.EventsCityCountryPlaceCapacityDateSongs1.Benefit for "Release"LondonEnglandHard Rock Café 18 March 19732.Live AidWembley Stadium13 July 198513.The Prince's TrustWembley Arena 20 June 198634.Sanremo Music FestivalSanremoItalyTeatro Ariston 28 February 19885.Up Close TV showNew YorkUnited StatesEd Sullivan Theater 10 December 1992206.The New World Tour (rehearsals)LondonEnglandLondon Docklands 5 February 1993227.BenefitRoyal College of Music 25 March 19958.Ballad of the SkeletonsRoyal Albert Hall 16 October 19959.TownHall MeetingBishopsgate Institute 17 May 199710.Music for MontserratRoyal Albert Hall 15 September 1997411.Standing Stone 14 October 199712.Standing StoneNew YorkUnited StatesCarnegie Hall 19 November 199713.The Oprah Winfrey ShowManhattan Center 20 November 199714.The Fireman WebcastLondonEnglandAbbey Road Studios 2 October 199815.Rock and Roll Hall of FameNew YorkUnited StatesWaldorf Astoria 15 March 199916.Concert for LindaLondonEnglandRoyal Albert Hall 10 April 199917.PETA Party of the CenturyHollywoodUnited StatesParamount Studios 18 September 199918.Working ClassicalLiverpoolEnglandPhilharmonic Hall 16 October 199919.Live at the Cavern ClubThe Cavern 14 December 199920.The Concert for New York CityNew YorkUnited StatesMadison Square GardenOctober 2001721.Nobel Peace Prize ConcertOsloNorwayOslo SpektrumDecember 2001322.Super Bowl XXXVINew OrleansUnited StatesLouisiana SuperdomeFebruary 2002123.74th Academy AwardsHollywoodKodak TheatreMarch 2002 124.Party at the PalaceLondonEnglandBuckingham Palace GardenJune 2002625.The Concert for GeorgeRoyal Albert HallNovember 2002426.Paul McCartney & James Taylor Together On Stage 2003 - Benefit Gala ConcertLos AngelesUnited StatesBeverly Hilton23 September 200315 (7 from Paul or The Beatles)27.Super Bowl XXXIXJacksonvilleUnited StatesJacksonville M.S.February 2005428.Live 8LondonEnglandHyde ParkJune 2005629.Chaos and Creation in the BackyardAbbey Road Studios100July 20051230.48th Annual Grammy AwardsLos AngelesUnited StatesStaples CenterFebruary 2006331.Brit AwardsLondonEnglandEarls CourtFebruary 2008532.The Liverpool SoundLiverpoolAnfield1 June 20082733.Independence Concert (free show)KyivUkraineMaidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square)14 June 2008 :uk:Концерт Пола Маккартні на Майдані Незалежності (Independence concert) 3434.The Last Play at SheaNew YorkUnited StatesShea StadiumJuly 2008235.Quebec 400th AnniversaryQuebec CityCanadaPlains of AbrahamLemieux, Louis-Guy, "Champlain a repris sa place à Québec in L'Album du 400e", Le Soleil (Québec), 2 November 2008, p.5.20 July 20083836.Friendship First ConcertTel AvivIsraelYarkon Park25 September 20083237.51st Annual Grammy AwardsLos AngelesUnited StatesStaples CenterFebruary 2009138.Change Begins WithinNew YorkRadio City Music HallApril 20091239.Coachella FestIndioCoachella Valley17 April 20093640.The JointLas VegasHard Rock19 April 20093441.Late Show with David LettermanNew YorkUnited StatesThe Ed Sullivan Theater marquee 15 July 2009742.Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert HallLondonEnglandRoyal Albert Hall12 November 2009343.The X FactorLondonEnglandFountain Studios 13 December 2009244.54th Annual Grammy AwardsLos AngelesUnited StatesStaples CenterFebruary 2012445.Diamond Jubilee ConcertLondonEnglandBuckingham Palace 4 June 2012546.2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremonyLondonEnglandOlympic Stadium 28 July 2012247.12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy ReliefNew YorkUnited StatesMadison Square Garden 12 December 2012848.iHeartRadio Music FestivalLas VegasUnited StatesMGM Grand Garden Arena 21 September 2013849.Hollywood Boulevard/Jimmy Kimmel Live!HollywoodUnited StatesEl Capitan Outdoor Stage 23 September 20131550.35th PETA Gala AwardsHollywoodUnited StatesHollywood Palladium 30 September 201551.Carpool Karaoke /The Late Late Show with James CordenLiverpoolUnited KingdomPhilharmonic Dining Rooms June 9, 20181352-54.Surprise showManhattanUnited StatesThe Bowery Ballroom 11, 12, and 14February202522
Timeline members
See also List of highest-grossing live music artists
References