The Beatles' 1965 UK tour

The English rock band the Beatles staged a concert tour of the United Kingdom between 3 and 12 December 1965, comprising 18 shows[1] at nine venues across England, Scotland and Wales.

[2] It coincided with the release of the Beatles' studio album Rubber Soul and their double A-side single "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out", and was the final UK tour undertaken by the band.

[4] The Beatles rehearsed thoroughly for the tour; according to George Harrison's comments to the NME, their ensemble playing was also helped by their having just finished an intensive period of recording for Rubber Soul.

[8] The album marked a significant progression from the band's Merseybeat roots,[9] furthering the musical direction they had first adopted with their late 1964 release, Beatles for Sale.

[11] The band chose their 1964 hit "I Feel Fine", sung by John Lennon, to open the shows, while their closing song, Paul McCartney's "I'm Down", became what NME journalist Alan Smith later described as "the 1965 'Twist And Shout'".

[4] The group's preparation ended with a rehearsal on 1 December at the London flat shared by Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans[13][14] – the Beatles' long-serving road managers and roadies.

[15] Aside from the four band members and their manager, Brian Epstein,[16] the tour personnel comprised only Aspinall, Evans, press officer Tony Barrow and a chauffeur, Alf Bicknell.

Part of the reason for the less-frenzied mood surrounding the tour, Smith said, was due to a heavy police presence, which meant that roads around the venues were closed off and crowd numbers were confined to only those attending the concerts.