Paul McCartney live: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Paul McCartney performed at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 21 April 1990.

It was the 87th date of the Paul McCartney World Tour, which lasted for 102 dates across 14 countries between September 1989 and July 1990, and the second of two consecutive nights in Rio de Janeiro.

This show set a new world record, with McCartney performing to 184,368, people the largest stadium crowd thus far in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

The performance of ‘The Long And Winding Road’ from this show appears on the 1990 live album Tripping The Live Fantastic. Furthermore, the recording of ‘PS Love Me Do’ was released as a b-side of the ‘Birthday’ live single in October 1990.

McCartney’s band was Linda McCartney on vocals, keyboards, and percussion; Hamish Stuart on guitar, bass guitar, and vocals; Robbie McIntosh on guitar and vocals; Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens on keyboards and vocals; and Chris Whitten on drums and percussion.

The Maracana Stadium in the 90s: that has to be a special show. We know all the stories – the rain, rain, rain, go away, come another washing day. And there’s me saying ‘Don’t worry, it’ll stop.’ Then it did, 10 minutes before the show — and all my crew have been praying to me ever since! There were 184,000 people in the audience, which set a new world record – although we suspect there were more because there were 5,000 people behind the stage, who couldn’t see anything except me getting changed. Which was worth the ticket for that. And, apparently, there were people doing rude things in the audience, which I still want to see the video of. All of that: the footballers getting mad at us for ruining their pitch. But a big record, which still stands. A great show – people say to me ‘Weren’t you nervous?’ But because we’d been on tour so long by then, we knew it although I must admit that Wix and Robbie did have two brandies before they went on to steady their nerves. But I can’t do that, because I forget the words if I have a drink. So I just have a smell of theirs. Magnificent, great show.

McCartney returned to the Maracanã Stadium on 16 December 2023 during the Got Back Tour.

Soundcheck setlist

• ‘Matchbox’
• ‘C Moon’
• ‘The Grand Old Duke Of York’
• ‘Leaning on a Lamp-post’
• ‘We Got Married’

Concert setlist

• ‘Figure Of Eight’
• ‘Jet’
• ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’
• ‘Rough Ride’
• ‘Band On The Run’
• ‘We Got Married’
• ‘Let ’Em In’
• ‘The Long And Winding Road’
• ‘The Fool On The Hill’
• ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’
• ‘Good Day Sunshine’
• ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
• ‘Put It There’
• ‘Hello, Goodbye’
• ‘Things We Said Today’
• ‘Eleanor Rigby’
• ‘This One’
• ‘My Brave Face’
• ‘Back In The USSR’
• ‘I Saw Her Standing There’
• ‘Coming Up’
• ‘Let It Be’
• ‘Ain’t That A Shame’
• ‘Live And Let Die’
• ‘Hey Jude’
• ‘Yesterday’
• ‘PS Love Me Do’
• ‘Get Back’
• ‘Golden Slumbers’
• ‘Carry That Weight’
• ‘The End’

Paul McCartney World Tour dates

• 26 September 1989: Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
• 28 September 1989: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 29 September 1989: Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 30 September 1989: Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 3 October 1989: Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 4 October 1989: Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 6 October 1989: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 7 October 1989: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 9 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 10 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 11 October 1989: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 16 October 1989: Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 17 October 1989: Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 20 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 21 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 22 October 1989: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 24 October 1989: PalaEUR, Rome, Italy
• 26 October 1989: PalaTrussardi, Milan, Italy
• 27 October 1989: PalaTrussardi, Milan, Italy
• 29 October 1989: Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
• 30 October 1989: Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
• 2 November 1989: Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Spain
• 3 November 1989: Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Spain
• 5 November 1989: Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• 7 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 8 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 10 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 11 November 1989: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 23 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 24 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 27 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 28 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 29 November 1989: Forum, Inglewood, USA
• 3 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 4 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 5 December 1989: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, USA
• 7 December 1989: SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
• 9 December 1989: Forum, Montreal, Canada
• 11 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 12 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 14 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 15 December 1989: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
• 2 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 3 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 5 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 6 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 8 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 9 January 1990: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
• 11 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 13 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 14 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 16 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 17 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 19 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 20 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 21 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 23 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 24 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 26 January 1990: Wembley Arena, London, England
• 1 February 1990: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
• 2 February 1990: The Palace, Auburn Hills, USA
• 4 February 1990: Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, USA
• 5 February 1990: Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, USA
• 8 February 1990: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, USA
• 9 February 1990: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, USA
• 12 February 1990: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, USA
• 14 February 1990: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, USA
• 15 February 1990: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, USA
• 18 February 1990: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 19 February 1990: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, USA
• 3 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 5 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 7 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 9 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 11 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 13 March 1990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• 29 March 1990: Kingdome, Seattle, USA
• 31 March 1990: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, USA
• 1 April 1990: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, USA
• 4 April 1990: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, USA
• 7 April 1990: Texas Stadium, Irving, USA
• 9 April 1990: Rupp Arena, Lexington, USA
• 12 April 1990: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, USA
• 14 April 1990: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA
• 15 April 1990: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA
• 20 April 1990: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 21 April 1990: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 23 June 1990: SECC Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
• 28 June 1990: King’s Dock, Liverpool, England
• 30 June 1990: Knebworth Festival, England
• 4 July 1990: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, USA
• 6 July 1990: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, USA
• 9 July 1990: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
• 11 July 1990: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
• 14 July 1990: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, USA
• 15 July 1990: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, USA
• 18 July 1990: Cyclone Stadium. Ames, USA
• 20 July 1990: Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, USA
• 22 July 1990: Carter–Finley Stadium, Raleigh, USA
• 24 July 1990: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, USA
• 26 July 1990: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, USA
• 29 July 1990: Soldier Field, Chicago, USA