Paul McCartney Surprises Liverpool Magical Mystery Tour

Beatles fans aboard Liverpool’s Magical Mystery Tour experienced a surreal moment this week when Paul McCartney pulled up beside their bus at a traffic light and revealed he was on a FaceTime call with Ringo Starr.

The encounter took place while the tour bus was stopped at a red traffic light on Hope Street. Neil Morton, the driver and tour guide for the excursion, spotted McCartney in the adjacent vehicle. Morton described the encounter to the BBC as surreal, noting that the passengers could not believe what they were seeing.

Leaning out of his car window, McCartney made sure the fans could see his screen, which featured his former bandmate Ringo Starr. Though the meeting was fleeting and didn’t allow for a proper conversation, the passengers managed to snap photos.

Paul McCartney live concert — Paul McCartney, Photo: Raph_PH, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Memorable Moment Shared Online

Starr later took to Instagram to share a photo of McCartney captured by Morton during the impromptu appearance. The drummer captioned the post, “How about that for a Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool? Peace and Love, Ringo.”

McCartney was visiting his hometown for events surrounding the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), the performing arts school he co-founded. His trip also follows recent musical projects reflecting on his upbringing in the city, including his LP The Boys of Dungeon Lane and a recent duet with Starr titled “Home to Us.”