Offered here is an exceptionally rare original ticket stub from The Beatles' legendary August 26, 1964 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, during the band's groundbreaking first full North American tour.
Few combinations in concert history are more iconic than The Beatles, 1964, and Red Rocks. The Beatles were in the midst of an unprecedented explosion in popularity that had transformed American popular culture, while Red Rocks was still decades away from becoming the internationally revered rock concert destination it is today. Their meeting on this August night has become one of the signature events in the history of the venue.
This particular survivor is even more extraordinary. It has been professionally authenticated and encapsulated by PSA and, at the time of listing, is the only example represented in the PSA population report.
The Beatles arrived at Red Rocks on August 26, 1964, just one week after opening their historic North American tour at San Francisco's Cow Palace. The tour would become a watershed moment not simply for The Beatles, but for the development of the modern concert touring industry itself.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were already at the center of worldwide Beatlemania. Only months earlier they had made their historic American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, and by the summer of 1964 their concerts were attracting enormous crowds across the United States and Canada.
Against that backdrop, seeing the biggest band in the world perform inside the dramatic natural surroundings of Red Rocks Amphitheatre was something extraordinary. Long before Red Rocks became synonymous with legendary rock performances, The Beatles stood on this stage and helped write one of the earliest and most famous chapters of its rock-and-roll history.
PSA has professionally authenticated, graded and encapsulated this ticket as PSA 1 (MK).
Most significantly, according to the PSA population information available at the time of listing, this is the ONLY ticket from the Beatles' August 26, 1964 Red Rocks concert represented in the entire PSA population report.
Not one at this grade with others above it.
One total.
For an event of this stature — featuring arguably the most important band in popular music history performing at one of America's most celebrated concert venues — that level of PSA-certified scarcity is remarkable.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this concert is that, despite the frenzy surrounding virtually every stop of The Beatles' tour, Red Rocks did not sell out.
Red Rocks' own historical account states that only approximately three-fourths of the available seats were sold. Contemporary and historical accounts generally place attendance at roughly 7,000 fans. Tickets cost approximately $6.60 — a surprisingly significant price for a concert ticket in 1964.
The circumstance is especially remarkable considering what was happening elsewhere. Just three days earlier, The Beatles had performed before a packed crowd at the Hollywood Bowl. Across their 1964 tour, Beatlemania routinely produced sold-out venues, screaming crowds and extraordinary demand.
Yet somehow, on one of the most famous concert stages in America today, there were seats available to see The Beatles in 1964.
In hindsight, the idea seems almost impossible.
The Beatles took the Red Rocks stage during the height of their early fame and performed a compact set packed with songs that now define the era.
The night's repertoire included Beatles classics such as "Twist and Shout," "All My Loving," "She Loves You," "Can't Buy Me Love," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "A Hard Day's Night" and other staples of their explosive early live performances.
The elevation of Red Rocks even became part of Beatles lore. Ringo Starr later remembered the thin mountain air and recalled the group being given oxygen during their visit.
Opening acts for the evening included The Righteous Brothers, Jackie DeShannon, The Exciters and Bill Black's Combo, making this an incredible snapshot of American popular music during one of its most transformative periods.
Original admission tickets from this particular Beatles appearance are extremely scarce. Unlike tickets from many larger venues on the band's North American tours, Red Rocks examples surface only infrequently.
Even more importantly, surviving examples from this concert are often torn through significant portions of the ticket's primary printing. Because of the location and manner in which these tickets were separated at admission, known examples can lose portions of either the "THE BEATLES" lettering or the "Red Rocks Amphitheater" venue identification.
That makes the presentation of this example particularly special.
Despite the ticket's obvious period wear and irregular upper tear, both "THE BEATLES" and "Red Rocks Amphitheater" remain nicely preserved and clearly readable on the face of this ticket. The date, Wednesday August 26, 1964, and 8:30 p.m. show time are also prominently visible.
For a serious Beatles ticket collector, that combination of rarity and unusually desirable surviving printed content gives this example tremendous visual and historical appeal.
PSA has assigned the ticket a grade of PR 1 (MK). As visible in the photographs, the ticket exhibits significant age and use consistent with an original admission stub from 1964, including an irregular tear across the upper portion, folds/creases, surface wear, staining/toning and a marked area.
Despite these condition issues, the ticket presents remarkably well where it matters most. The blue color remains attractive, and the critical identifying information — particularly THE BEATLES, Red Rocks Amphitheater, August 26, 1964 — remains exceptionally well represented.
Please review all photographs carefully. The exact PSA-certified ticket pictured is the item you will receive.
- Original August 26, 1964 Beatles concert ticket stub.
- From the Beatles' historic first full North American tour.
- Concert held at legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
- A landmark early rock-and-roll performance in Red Rocks history.
- One of the great intersections of an iconic artist, venue and era.
- Famously one of the extremely rare Beatles tour stops that did not sell out.
- Approximately 7,000 fans attended the concert.
- Original ticket price was approximately $6.60.
- Both "THE BEATLES" and "Red Rocks Amphitheater" remain clearly visible.
- Professionally authenticated and encapsulated by PSA.
- Graded PSA 1 (MK).
- The only example currently represented in the PSA population report.
- PSA certification number 168902550.
- An extraordinary piece of Beatles, Red Rocks and American concert history.
There are concert tickets that commemorate a performance, and then there are tickets that represent a genuine intersection of cultural history.
This is the latter.
It represents The Beatles at the height of Beatlemania, on their groundbreaking 1964 North American tour, performing at Red Rocks before the venue had become the rock-and-roll institution we recognize today.
Add the unusual non-sellout history, the extreme scarcity of surviving tickets, the unusually complete presentation of the important printed information, and its status as the only PSA-population example, and this becomes an exceptional opportunity for the advanced Beatles, concert ticket or music memorabilia collector.
A remarkable survivor from one of the most storied nights in the history of Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
This important PSA-certified ticket will be professionally packaged with exceptional care and shipped fully insured with tracking to ensure it arrives safely.