Honestly, watching an 82-year-old man run around a stage for three hours is exhausting just to think about. But then there’s Paul McCartney. He doesn't just "perform." He basically hosts a massive, multi-generational therapy session where everyone remembers why they liked music in the first place.
If you're looking for the paul mccartney setlist 2024, you might think it’s just a repeat of his greatest hits. You’d be mostly right, but you'd also be missing the weird, wonderful nuances that made the 2024 leg of the Got Back tour feel different from the years before.
The Big Surprise Nobody Saw Coming
The most significant addition to the paul mccartney setlist 2024 wasn't a deep cut from the 70s. It was the "final" Beatles song, "Now and Then."
When the tour kicked off in Montevideo, Uruguay, back in October, the crowd went absolutely silent the second the opening piano chords hit. It was the first time it had ever been played live. McCartney sings it against a backdrop of archival footage that makes it feel like John and George are actually in the room. It’s heavy. It’s emotional. It’s also a technical feat, blending digital isolation with live instrumentation.
Most people assume Paul just sticks to the safe stuff. But including a track that relies so heavily on "AI-assisted" restoration shows he’s still poking at the edges of what a live show can be.
A Night of 37 Songs (Give or Take)
The stamina is the part that gets me. He’s doing roughly 37 songs a night. Most bands half his age tap out at 20.
The structure of the show has become a bit of a well-oiled machine, but he’s been swapping out the openers to keep things fresh. One night it’s "A Hard Day’s Night." The next, it might be "Can’t Buy Me Love." He’s even dusted off "She’s a Woman," which hasn't been a constant staple for a while.
Here’s the thing: the setlist is a journey through every version of Paul we’ve ever known.
The Early Days and The Quarrymen
He goes all the way back to "In Spite of All the Danger." That’s a song from 1958, before they were even the Beatles. Just him and an acoustic guitar, telling stories about Liverpool. It’s the kind of intimacy you don't expect in a stadium with 50,000 people.
The Wings Era
People sometimes sleep on the Wings stuff, but "Junior’s Farm" and "Letting Go" are absolute rockers in 2024. He’s still doing the Hendrix tribute at the end of "Let Me Roll It," shredding on his Gibson Les Paul like he’s trying to blow the roof off the place. And "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five"? It’s still the best piano-driven rock song in his catalog, period.
The Heavy Hitters
You know the ones. "Hey Jude" involves ten minutes of the audience screaming "Na-na-na" until their throats are sore. "Live and Let Die" still has enough pyrotechnics to startle a small army. Seriously, the heat from those explosions is intense even if you're in the nosebleed seats.
What He's Not Playing
Interestingly, some "staples" have fallen off the radar. "Yesterday" isn't a guarantee anymore. Neither is "Eleanor Rigby."
It seems like he’s leaning more into the rockers and the deeper emotional beats. He’s kept "Here Today," his tribute to John Lennon, and "Something," played on a ukulele George Harrison gave him. These moments aren't just filler; they are the heart of the show.
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He also threw in "Now and Then" because, well, why wouldn't he? It was a global #1 hit in 2023. It fits the 2024 vibe perfectly.
Why the Order Matters
The show is paced like a movie. He starts high energy, moves into a "living room" acoustic set in the middle, and then the final hour is just a relentless barrage of some of the most famous songs ever written.
- The Opener: Usually "A Hard Day's Night" (pure nostalgia shot).
- The Mid-Set Pivot: "Blackbird" into "Here Today."
- The Finale: The "Abbey Road" medley ("Golden Slumbers" / "Carry That Weight" / "The End").
Ending with "The End" is basically the ultimate mic drop. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." It’s a bit on the nose, sure, but after three hours of McCartney, you’re usually too busy crying or cheering to care.
How to Handle a McCartney Show in 2024
If you're planning to catch one of the remaining dates or just want to relive the experience, here is some practical advice from someone who’s seen the setlist evolve:
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- Don't leave for the encore. The encore is where he does "I've Got a Feeling" with the "virtual" John Lennon on the big screen. If you leave early to beat traffic, you’re missing the most talked-about moment of the tour.
- Check the local variations. When he was in the UK in December, he added "Wonderful Christmastime" (complete with a local choir). He likes to throw in little regional nods.
- Pace yourself. It’s a marathon. If you stand and scream for the first twenty minutes, you won't have a voice left for the "Hey Jude" singalong.
The paul mccartney setlist 2024 proves that he isn't just a legacy act. He’s someone who still genuinely enjoys the craft of being a "Beatle" while acknowledging that he's a solo artist with sixty years of his own history to draw from. It’s a rare thing to see.
To make the most of your experience, track the specific setlist changes on sites like Setlist.fm before your show date, as he often alternates the first two songs and the second song of the encore between back-to-night performances in the same city.