Paul McCartney Delights Fans with a Rare Live Rendition of His Holiday Classic ‘Wonderful Christmastime’

The Grammy-winning artist performed his 1979 holiday hit during a concert in Manchester, England, on December 14.

Sir Paul McCartney gave his fans an early holiday treat!

On Saturday, December 14, the 82-year-old music legend surprised concertgoers in Manchester, England, with a rare live performance of his 1979 Christmas classic “Wonderful Christmastime.” The performance featured backing vocals from children of the You Should Be Dancing Theatre Academy.

The festive atmosphere at Manchester’s Co-Op Live venue was enhanced by a shower of (artificial) snow, as captured in photos shared by McCartney on Instagram.

“Simply having a Wonderful Christmastime in Manchester! We’ve been travelling around the world and here we are up north again. It’s good to be back! 🎄,” he wrote alongside the snowy performance images.

Fans recorded videos of the special performance and shared them online. The venue also posted a clip on their Instagram, with the caption, “Paul McCartney brought us a choir and snow.”

According to Rolling Stone, McCartney has only performed “Wonderful Christmastime” live about a dozen times throughout his extensive career. His most recent live performance of the song was during a series of concerts in England in December 2018. Prior to that, he joined Jimmy Fallon and the cast of Sing for a rendition on The Tonight Show in 2016.

McCartney’s recent performance of the song marked the start of the England leg of his Got Back Tour. The former Beatle had previously performed in South America, Paris, Madrid, and other European cities. His next shows are scheduled for December 18 and 19 in London.