BEATLES MAGAZINE: THE BEATLES IN WAKEFIELD

Saturday, 7 February 2026

THE BEATLES IN WAKEFIELD

Long before they became global icons, The Beatles stopped at Wakefield’s landmark ABC Cinema on Kirkgate. On February 7, 1963, the Liverpool quartet arrived as a supporting act for Helen Shapiro’s inaugural UK tour. At the time, the band was relatively unknown, earning just £30 a night while their single "Love Me Do" sat modestly on the charts.

The Wakefield show was the fourth stop on a 14-city circuit. The Beatles were tucked away as the fourth act on a massive eleven-artist bill headlined by the 16-year-old Shapiro, who was then England’s top-selling female star. Their brief setlist featured: "Chains" (George Harrison), "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (John Lennon), "A Taste of Honey" (Paul McCartney), "Please Please Me" (Lennon/McCartney)

Interestingly, Lennon and McCartney had actually written the song "Misery" specifically for Shapiro. However, her producer, Norrie Paramor, rejected it without her ever hearing it—a decision she later called "a shame." The track eventually found its home on the band's debut album.

The venue itself was a local treasure. Originally opened as the Regal in 1935, it had been rebranded as the ABC just a year before the Fab Four took the stage.

While the building has since been demolished to create a green space, it remains a legendary piece of Wakefield’s cultural history as the place that hosted the Beatles right on the cusp of "Beatlemania."

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