KIEV:

Tens of thousands of people braved heavy rain and thunder on the night of June 15 to see Paul McCartney perform a charity concert on Kiev’s central Independence Square. The outdoor show, the first in Ukraine for the former Beatle, was billed as the biggest concert ever in the former Soviet republic. It was broadcast live on national television and on giant screens in five cities. After a half-hour delay because of the weather, McCartney, who turns 66 next week, came out on the stage and greeted the crowd in Ukrainian, before diving into the Beatles hit Drive My Car.

He followed up with a series of Beatles songs, including Hey Jude, Let it Be, Back in the USSR, and Penny Lane. The show also included a rendition of A Day in the Life, which McCartney dedicated to John Lennon. McCartney returned for his encore waving a Ukrainian flag and finished off the two-hour show with fireworks, a rendition of Yesterday and a musical finale. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was in attendance.