Previously unseen footage of the Beatles' 1965 concert in Barcelona

Much has been said about the legendary Beatles concert at Barcelona's La Monumental bullring on July 3, 1965, the 60th anniversary of which is being commemorated. Now, for the first time, color film footage, recorded by an amateur, has been made public and analyzed by Magí Crusells, professor of Geography and History at the University of Barcelona (UB) and director of the institution's Film-History Research Center. The two-and-a-half-minute footage, never before broadcast, is the most complete visual record of that musical event.

The film was shot on 16mm film by an anonymous spectator who attended the concert from the dance floor, the most expensive area for seats (it cost 400 pesetas, at a time when the minimum wage was just over 2,000 pesetas). "The fact that we had access to a camera that filmed in color and from such a good position indicates that its owner belonged to a very wealthy social class," Crusells notes.

The documentary, which will air on 3Cat's Vespre News on July 3, shows images of the atmosphere in the square before the Beatles' appearance. You can see the performance of one of the opening groups, the Modern Jazz Dancers, dancing and performing acrobatics to the rhythm of the Florida Orchestra. At a key moment in the documentary, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr appear on stage alongside the popular presenter, Torrebruno, while they tune their instruments.

Analysis of the images has allowed us to identify five songs performed during the concert: 'Twist and Shout', 'She's a Woman', 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'Baby's in Black', and 'Long Tall Sally'. The audience, made up largely of young people, displayed overwhelming enthusiasm. "That concert was much more than a musical performance: it represented a burst of freedom for an entire generation immersed in the gray Franco regime. The Beatles symbolized spontaneity, modernity, and a new way of understanding the world," explains Crusells, an expert in popular culture and the history of contemporary cinema.

The family that owns the film wishes to remain anonymous and has deposited the footage with the Filmoteca de Catalunya.