Paul McCartney in Liverpool : Tuesday 21 July 2026

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Fans swarm Liverpool venue as Beatles legend arrives in city

Stephen Graham was honoured by Sir Paul at a special event in the city

by Luis Webster and Evelina Black

The Liverpool Echo

21 Jul 2026

Sir Paul McCartney arriving for the LIPA Graduation Ceremony at Liverpool Experience Campus (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Sir Paul McCartney fans gathered outside Liverpool Experience Campus to catch a glimpse of the Beatle as he attended LIPA graduations today, Tuesday, July 21. Five leading figures from the creative arts industry were also made LIPA Companions at the ceremony.

More than a dozen fans swarmed the back entrance of the venue as Sir Paul waved at them from his car and played air guitar for the excited crowd. Brian Jackson, 65, from Allerton, has been coming down to the LIPA graduation ceremony for the last 28 years to try and get a glimpse of the music legend.

He said: "I've been a fan of him since I was five and every time you see him back in Liverpool you can see the love he has for the city and the people. It's nice to come down to show him how much we support him and it's like a pilgrimage for all of us fans.

"We meet up all over every year from all over the world and you get people travelling from places like America and Japan so it's nice to hear all of their stories."

Michelle Murtagh, from Dublin, and David Shaw, from Nantwich, first met because of the Beatle's themed podcast 'Nothing Is Real' and it is their third year in a row waiting outside the graduation ceremony to see the Beatle.

David said: "It's the most excited I ever get and I always get such a rush of energy when I see him. He's everything you expect him to be and he has such an incredible gift for song writing and melody. He can do it all."

Michelle added: "He's a musical genius and he's been part of my life since I was a child. I've been listening to him since I was 10 and he is the soundtrack to my life. It's so exciting just to see him and if I ever did get the chance to speak to him I wouldn't even ask him a question, I'd just thank him for everything he's done for me."

Originally from Nashville, Miles Frizzell, 22, moved to Liverpool in November to join The Bootleg Beatles as Sir Paul McCartney. He said: "I've been a huge fan of The Beatles since I was 12, especially Paul. I'm actually right handed but I taught myself to play guitar with my left hand when I was younger because I love him so much.

"Everyone's such a big fan of The Beatles but for me the last 10 years of my life has been consumed by the band and Paul specifically. He looked at me when he got out of the car and waved and it was just so cool."

Brian Lewis, 65, from Manchester, has been travelling to see Sir Paul "on and off" since 2011. He said: "I've seen him 16 times now and there's a buzz that comes over you when you see him. I couldn't sleep properly last night and I kept waking up just thinking about what today was going to be like.

"I love nostalgia and I've loved The Beatles ever since I heard them at 12 years old."

Paul McCartney and Stephen Graham attended LIPA's graduation at the Convention Centre today 

Stephen Graham is one of the five leading figures to be awarded a LIPA Companionship by Sir Paul McCartney. The award recognises outstanding achievement in the creative industries and a significant contribution to student learning, during a ceremony at the Liverpool Experience Campus.

The 52-year-old, born and raised in Kirkby, is one of Britain's leading actors, having built an outstanding career across film and television with celebrated performances in This Is England, Boardwalk Empire, Line of Duty, Boiling Point, and Adolescence. His work as an actor, writer, and producer has earned widespread critical acclaim, along with BAFTA, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe awards and nominations.

Also to receive the honour were BAFTA-winning actor and writer Cathy Tyson, Paul Duhaney, Artistic Director of Africa Oyé, McFly founding member, songwriter and author Tom Fletcher, who composed the music and lyrics for Paddington: The Musical, and film producer and president of the Oscars, Lynette Howell Taylor.

The Companionships were bestowed by LIPA’s Founding Patron, Sir Paul McCartney, in a ceremony that celebrates the achievements of more than 400 graduating students from 28 countries, including Colombia, Georgia, India, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.