Paul McCartney Is Stephen Colbert’s Final Musical Guest on ‘The Late Show’

The finale of Stephen Colbert’s beloved late-night show wasn’t a cliffhanger, but a blockbuster, as Paul McCartney stopped by the Ed Sullivan Theater for a chat.

In doing so, the Beatles great completed the full circle. It was here, in the same glorious New York City building back on Feb. 9, 1964, when the legendary British band made their historic first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. When the screaming had subsided, the world had changed. The Fab Four’s U.S. TV debut shook America’s teenage population, gathering an estimated 73 million viewers, a record for its time and a wake-up call for pop music.  

McCartney, 83, is perhaps the most famous living pop star on earth. And the two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee can still command screams wherever he goes, as was evident on his appearance Thursday night on The Late Show. How often does that still happen, Colbert asked his famous guest. Often, was the response. True story. Check out the proof below.

Colbert’s final broadcast of The Late Show draws curtains on an 11-year run. CBS announced the cancelation in July 2025, citing financial losses. Many observers, however, aren’t buying it, with figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren claiming the axing was political censorship, coming just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over its $16 million legal settlement with Trump.

“We’ve had so much fun in this theater, so many great segments,” Colbert remarked in his final, opening monologue. The gags, they flowed as usual. Once backstage, Elvis Presley used the bathroom and didn’t die, Colbert insisted.