Paul McCartney delights fans as he brings former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr on stage to play drums at his epic London gig – five years after they last performed together

Paul McCartney delighted fans when he brought his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr on stage during his epic performance in London.

The legendary frontman, 82, took to the stage for his Got Back tour at The O2 in Greenwich on Thursday.

Paul invited Ringo, 84, from the audience to join him on drums for hits Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Helter Skelter.

The pair looked thrilled to be playing together as Paul put his arm around Ringo in a touching moment for fans.

Paul and Ringo’s performance marked the first time the old friends had played together in five years, and the last time they took the stage during Macca’s Freshen Up tour in 2019.

The music legend also called on Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood to perform Get Back with him.

Before his performance the night before, Paul was full of personal anecdotes as he took to the stage at London’s O2 Arena

Reflecting on his years with The Beatles, Paul revealed the moving impact of the band’s famous show in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Liverpool foursome were scheduled to play the city’s Gator Bowl in 1964, but they were told the crowd would be segregated by color.

Recalling the story, Paul told the crowd, “We didn’t really understand it until we went down there and played a place called Jacksonville down south.

‘And the promoters said, “Okay, tonight you’re playing to a segregated audience.” And we said, “What are you talking about?”

“They said there would be black people on one side and white people on the other side, and we said, ‘No, I mean, why would you do that, what’s the point?’

He continued, “So we refused to play it [segregated] and we played it and it was integrated.”

Revealing the moving impact of the show, he continued: “The other day I got a text from a girl who was there at the time, she was a black girl and she was sitting with some white kids.

And she said, “I’d never sat with white people before.” Imagine that, but she said, “I loved it because we were all just screaming Beatle fans and it didn’t matter.”

Paul also paid tribute to John Lennon during the set as he spoke about his late bandmate and friend.

Discussing how attitudes towards male emotions have changed, he explained how it used to be considered strange to tell your friends you loved them.

He told the crowd: “Even in a group you couldn’t turn to your friends and say ‘I love you man’, it just wasn’t done, you know.”

In an emotional tribute, the star then performed a rendition of the band’s 1969 hit Something on a ukulele gifted to him by the late George Harrison.

Meanwhile, Paul gave The O2 Arena a veggie makeover for his final shows of 2024 with none other than Linda McCartney Foods.

The Band on the Run-inspired Van on the Run food truck was located outside the venue, offering Linda McCartney’s Best Burgers, Korean chicken bites, Vegemince Chili Nachos and Vegan sausage corndog with chips.

Just as Paul’s music changed the world, Linda McCartney’s love of animals has inspired her to become a pioneer of meat-free eating since 1991, and has changed the way Britain eats plant-based food.

Rebecca Fairbairn, head of marketing at The Hain Celestial Group, said: “We are thrilled to be taking over concessions in the arena for a celebration of music and plant-based living.

“While Paul McCartney has inspired generations through his music, Linda McCartney Foods, part of the Hain Celestial Group global family of brands, has been a pioneer in plant-based living for more than 30 years, so this is a perfect collaboration of our shared values.

‘We look forward to offering fans a taste of our delicious, sustainable range and sharing the family’s best recipes for this unforgettable event!’