The Great Pop Prom 50th Anniversary Exhibition celebrates the day The Rolling Stones and The Beatles both appeared at The Royal Albert Hall

On 15 September 1963, the Royal Albert Hall was once again the venue for The Great Pop Prom.

The event had been an annual fixture in the Hall’s calendar since 1958 and showcased leading stars in the world of pop music. This 1963 concert, however, has gone down in history as the first of only two occasions in which The Rolling Stones and The Beatles would appear on the same bill.

50 years on, the Royal Albert Hall will celebrate this moment of musical history with an exhibition of photographs, posters and artwork. It was perhaps not until years later that the significance of these bands performing on the same bill would be realised.

At the time both bands were only just starting to experience the hysteria that would follow them for the next few years (the word ‘Beatlemania’, used to describe the intense fan frenzy directed at The Beatles, was first used only a few weeks after this concert) and the hysterics on the day were similar to what the two bands were used to, however this was a new phenomenon for the Royal Albert Hall to deal with.

At the time, the Daily Mirror wrote of the scene at the Hall:

“It was the siege of the Beatle-crushers … 6,000 screaming teenagers intent on crushing just four Beatles. Never has the Royal Albert Hall seen scenes quite like it. Even for Britain’s newly-elected top vocal group, the Beatles, it was bewildering… They were the target for anything the teenagers could lay their hands on. Girls swept out of their seats and tried to rush the stage. They were repelled by a solid block of forty commissionaires. After their final hit number, Twist and Shout, the four Beatles fled from the stage and out of the Hall into a waiting cab.”

Of course, the following years resulted in unprecedented success for both bands all around the world, but the lucky ticketholders on this September day in 1963 were treated to energetic performances from two bands on the brink of international superstardom.

The concert itself was compered by radio DJ Alan Freeman and also included performances from the likes of Kenny Lynch, The Viscounts and the Lorne Gibson Trio.

50th Anniversary Exhibition

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this magical moment in the Royal Albert Hall’s history, the Hall will host The Great Pop Prom 50th Anniversary Exhibition from 21 September – 22 October.

Presented in conjunction with Getty Images Gallery, mirrorpix and artist John Pasche, who famously designed The Rolling Stones’ trademark ‘Tongue and Lip Design’ logo in 1971, the exhibition will display rare contemporary prints from the historic day, as well as original Pasche posters and artwork from his personal collection. The exhibition will be on the Hall’s Ground Floor Corridor and can be viewed when attending performances between 21 September and 22 October 2013.

The exhibition is free to view and can also be viewed between 10am and 4pm (3.30pm on 22 September) on one of the following open days: -

Sunday 22 September

Saturday 28 September

Saturday 5 October

Saturday 19 October

Entry is free and accessible via the Café Bar at Door 12.