Skip to content

Questions about The Beatles' 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did the Beatles tour Germany, Japan and the Philippines?

The Beatles toured West Germany, Japan and the Philippines between the 24th of June and the 4th of July 1966, playing thirteen concerts as the first leg of a world tour that resumed with their third US tour on the 11th of August 1966.

Why did the Beatles decide to stop touring after their 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines?

After the hostile treatment they received in Manila, the Beatles lost faith in manager Brian Epstein and decided, during their Delhi stopover, that their current tour would be their last as live performers. Lennon and Harrison told Epstein this decision at their hotel or on the flight home, and it was made without Paul McCartney's initial agreement.

What happened to the Beatles in Manila during their 1966 tour of the Philippines?

The Beatles' nonattendance at a social event hosted by Imelda Marcos at Malacanang Palace triggered a hostile national reaction. As they left the country on the 5th of July, the band and their entourage were manhandled at the airport and forced to surrender much of their concert earnings.

Why did the Beatles' 1966 concerts at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo cause controversy?

The Nippon Budokan was a venue reserved for martial arts and regarded as a shrine to Japan's war dead, so booking the Beatles there outraged hardline nationalists. The controversy, combined with a death threat received in Hamburg, led to around 35,000 police and fire brigade personnel being mobilised to protect the band.

How many concerts did the Beatles play during their 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines?

The Beatles played thirteen concerts in total across West Germany, Japan and the Philippines, including two shows each in Munich, Essen and Hamburg, five shows at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, and two shows at Manila's Rizal Memorial Stadium.

What songs did the Beatles perform on their 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines?

The Beatles' 1966 set comprised eleven songs lasting just over thirty minutes, opening with Rock and Roll Music and including Paperback Writer, Nowhere Man, If I Needed Someone, Yesterday and I'm Down. The band deliberately excluded every song from their newly completed album, Revolver.

Queue