We Come in Peace

Overview

It has been 50 years since The Beatles disembarked at Wellington airport and threw the city into chaos. The crowds were so wild that their screams drowned out the plane’s turbo engines, and the band eventually had to be snuck through the duty free entrance to avoid the mayhem at the arrival gate. To commemorate 50 years since their 1965 New Zealand tour, the Museum of Wellington City and Sea is going full Beatlemania, in an event inspired by Ringo Starr’s first words to the city, “We Come in Peace.”

Music writers Redmer Yska and Chris Bourke, will be presenting the story behind the Beatles tour, including the drama and craziness drummed up by the nation’s most diehard fans. The band played at Wellington’s town hall in a room packed with fans, who were so loud that the music couldn't be heard. But this weekend the music will be loud, and fans can reminisce whilst the Beatles greatest hits hijack the museum.