New York Mets Honor The Beatles With 60th Anniversary Beatles Night

Sixty years ago, the Beatles made music history at New York’s Shea Stadium, performing for a record-breaking crowd that helped redefine the modern concert experience. Now, the New York Mets are tuning into that legacy.

On August 15, the Mets will celebrate the 60th anniversary of that legendary 1965 show during their game against the Seattle Mariners at Citi Field — located just steps from where the original Shea Stadium once stood.

The evening kicks off at 6:15 p.m. with a live performance by 1964 the Tribute, a band widely regarded as one of the most authentic Beatles tribute acts. The concert will take place at Shea Bridge, the pedestrian walkway in the outfield area, setting the stage for a night that blends sports, nostalgia, and rock ’n’ roll.

Adding to the festivities, the first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a limited-edition Shea Stadium replica, a keepsake honoring one of the most iconic venues in music and sports history.

A Night to Remember

Before the first pitch, a special group of individuals will take the field — former Shea Stadium staffers who were working the night of the Beatles’ groundbreaking concert. These unsung heroes of rock history will throw out the ceremonial pitch, linking past and present in a poignant tribute.

Following the game, fans can look forward to a Beatles-themed fireworks show, closing out the night with the same kind of spectacle that once lit up the skies during the height of Beatlemania.

The original 1965 Shea Stadium concert was no ordinary gig. It drew more than 55,000 fans, a staggering figure for the time, and marked one of the first major stadium concerts in rock history. The Beatles returned for a second show on August 23, but by the following year, they had stepped away from live touring altogether.

“Walls of People”

Paul McCartney later recalled the awe-inspiring scale of the performance in the documentary Anthology:

“Now it’s quite commonplace for people to play Shea Stadium or Giants Stadium and all those big places, but this was the first time. It seemed like millions of people, but we were ready for it. They obviously felt we were popular enough to fill it. Once you go onstage and you know you’ve filled a place that size, it’s magic, just walls of people.”

What Happened to Shea?

Built in 1964, Shea Stadium was home to the New York Mets for over four decades before being demolished in 2009. That same year, Citi Field opened next door and has served as the Mets’ home ever since. While the original structure is gone, its cultural legacy — especially as a landmark in Beatles history — lives on.

With this anniversary celebration, Citi Field will once again echo with the spirit of four lads from Liverpool who helped change the world — one stadium at a time.