Paul McCartney appeared as the musical guest on the Season 51 finale of Saturday Night Live on May 16, 2026 [1].
His appearance highlights the enduring influence of the former Beatle on American popular culture and the show's continued reliance on legacy acts to close major seasons. The performance was hosted by Will Ferrell and broadcast on NBC and Peacock [2].
This outing marked the fifth time McCartney has served as a musical guest for the program [3]. The setlist for the evening included "Days We Left Behind" and "Band on the Run" [1]. According to some reports, McCartney also performed an encore of "Coming Up" [4].
There is conflicting information regarding the specific songs performed during the broadcast. A video published by Saturday Night Live labels one of the performances as "Help!" [5], though other reports did not list the song in the setlist [1], [4].
This appearance was the third performance from McCartney during this season [1]. The finale served as the conclusion to the 51st season of the long-running sketch comedy series [1].
“This outing marked the fifth time McCartney has served as a musical guest for the program.”
McCartney's recurring role as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live underscores the symbiotic relationship between the show and musical icons. By booking a high-profile legacy artist for a season finale, the network ensures a broad demographic reach and a high-visibility conclusion to the television year.
