Mets to Celebrate Beatles’ Historic Shea Stadium Concert on Aug. 15

The Big Picture

The New York Mets will honor the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ groundbreaking 1965 Shea Stadium concert when they host the Seattle Mariners on August 15 for The Beatles Night at Citi Field, according to ESPN. The celebration commemorates the night the Fab Four became the first rock band to headline a major stadium concert — a performance captured in the 50-minute documentary The Beatles at Shea Stadium.

The original 1965 concert, held before a then-record crowd of more than 55,000 people, also marked the opening of the Beatles’ second North American tour. At the time, Shea Stadium served as home to both the Mets and the New York Jets.

What’s New

The anniversary festivities will begin at 6:15 p.m. EST, roughly an hour before the first pitch, with a performance by the acclaimed Beatles tribute band 1964 the Tribute in front of Shea Bridge in the outfield concourse. The first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive an exclusive Shea Stadium replica.

To add a living link to history, the ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by members of the gameday staff who worked at the iconic 1965 show. The evening will conclude with a Beatles-themed fireworks display above Citi Field.

What They’re Saying

Background

On August 15, 1965, the Beatles performed a 12-song set at Shea Stadium, including four covers — “Twist and Shout,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” “Everybody’s Tryin’ to Be My Baby,” and “Act Naturally” — and eight originals. Four tracks from their Help! album, released just nine days earlier, made the setlist, alongside classics like “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and “I Feel Fine.”

The concert’s scale was unprecedented for rock music at the time, influencing generations of stadium shows that followed. The Beatles would return to Shea Stadium the following year for another performance on August 23, 1966, before retiring from touring later that summer.

In 2008, Billy Joel headlined the final concert at Shea Stadium, inviting McCartney to join him for “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Let It Be.” A year later, McCartney honored the venue again by performing the first concert at Citi Field, where he played “I’m Down,” one of the songs from the 1965 set.

What’s Next

For the Mets, the anniversary game offers a chance to blend baseball tradition with a moment that shaped popular culture. For fans, it’s an opportunity to relive the magic of Shea Stadium — through music, memorabilia, and shared memories that span generations.

The Bottom Line

Sixty years after that groundbreaking night, the Beatles’ Shea Stadium concert remains one of rock’s most enduring milestones — and the Mets are bringing it back to life for one unforgettable evening.

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