The Beatles’ only appearance at Birmingham’s Ritz Ballroom should have taken place on 11 January 1963. However, it was postponed due to blizzards making the roads impassable.
Fortunately for the venue promoters, The Beatles honoured the originally-agreed booking fee. Just one month after they had been due to appear, they were riding high in the singles charts with ‘Please Please Me’ and tickets were highly in demand.
The Ritz, a converted snooker hall, was one of four venues run by Irish couple Joe and Mary Regan. Among the acts that performed at the ballroom were The Rolling Stones and The Spencer Davies Group.
The venue later became a pawnbrokers store. A plaque to commemorate The Beatles’ performance was unveiled in 2011. The building was mostly destroyed by a fire on 27 March 2013.
Also on this day...
- 2024: Paul McCartney’s first Höfner bass returned after five decades
- 2016: Paul McCartney announces first live shows of 2016
- 2015: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham
- 2015: Paul McCartney performs on Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special
- 2010: The Beatles’ Revolver tops the Vatican’s best albums list
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
- 1968: Mixing: Lady Madonna
- 1968: John Lennon and George Harrison fly to India
- 1965: Recording: Ticket To Ride, Another Girl, I Need You
- 1965: John Lennon passes his driving test
- 1965: US single release: Eight Days A Week
- 1964: Rehearsal for The Ed Sullivan Show
- 1962: The Beatles live: Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, Wallasey
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Hambleton Hall, Liverpool
- 1961: The Beatles live: Aintree Institute, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Your dates are wrong. The Beatles performed at the ritz in October 1962 when love me do was 17 in the hit parade. I was a bouncer there then and sat talking to them for they were relatively unknown.they performed again but were very popular and bought out there third booking .D Mcculloch