Signed programme from the Beatles’ legendary concert in Copenhagen, estimated at DKK 60,000–80,000.

Fans and collectors of one of the world’s most famous and revolutionary bands ever should set their sights on Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen’s sale on 3 December, when a rarely-seen signed programme from The Beatles' first and only concert in Denmark on 4 June 1964 comes up for auction. The estimate is DKK 60,000–80,000.

The fourth of June 1964 marked a watershed moment for thousands of Danish Beatles fans. Not only were tickets to The Beatles’ two concerts at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen snapped up in record time, but it was also the band’s first and only visit to Denmark.

Though the mother Annett – at that time a 13-year-old Danish girl – deemed her too young to attend the concert, a family friend, Uncle Luffe, came through with the next best thing: a programme signed by The Beatles. Annett, now 73, has decided it’s time for her programme to find new owners.

An extremely rare treasure

On 3 December, Beatles fans will have a chance to get their hands on a rare slice of music history when this memento from the iconic concert goes under the hammer at Bruun Rasmussen. The programme features autographs from four of the band members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and the stand-in drummer Jimmie Nicol, who stepped in for Ringo Starr, who was ill and had to stay in England.

“The Beatles are without a doubt one of the most famous and influential bands of all time, and it is extremely rare for a treasure such as this to surface at auction. Its significance is twofold: not only does it bear the autographs of every member of the band, but these signatures appear on a programme that’s directly tied to that historic Danish concert. Beatlemania was at its peak at that time, and this signed programme stands as a vivid testament to the hysteria and magic that surrounded the band throughout the 1960s. And there’s also a really nice personal story associated with it,” says Peter Broe, a specialist at Bruun Rasmussen.

The programme actually features no fewer than six signatures, as it seems John Lennon and Jimmie Nicol initially wrote their autographs on the inside pages. Apparently, they had second thoughts, leading to all four band members ultimately signing the cover instead. So, there are two autographs from both John Lennon and Jimmie Nicol.

A personalised gift from Uncle Luffe

The programme set to go under the hammer was consigned by the now 73-year-old Annett, who was aged just 13 when she received it. The programme’s back cover bears the name “Luffe”, a worker at Copenhagen’s B&W shipyard who was fondly known to his friends as “Uncle Luffe”. He lived in the apartment above a family with whom he had a close relationship, hence the nickname “Uncle Luffe”. To supplement his income, Luffe sold concert programmes as a side job.

On the morning of 4 June 1964, Uncle Luffe knocked on the door of the family and told them that he’d been given a free ticket to one of the two Beatles concerts at K.B. Hallen that evening. He would himself be there to sell programmes and wanted to give the family’s 13-year-old daughter Annett the ticket.

“Annett recalls that she was absolutely over the moon when it happened. Her mother, however, declined the offer. Having seen the footage of screaming girls on television, she deemed her daughter too young for the intense Beatlemania that had reached fever pitch at the time,” says Peter Broe.

The following morning, Uncle Luffe appeared at Annett and her family’s door once again. In his hand was a signed programme for her from the previous evening’s concert – a gesture he hoped would help soothe her disappointment.

“He’d pulled a few strings with his contacts, who managed to get him the autographs,” says Peter Broe.

In the days following the concert, Annett carried the programme in her schoolbag daily, proudly showing it to her awestruck classmates. She has owned it until this day. Now, many decades later, this unique programme has made its way into the public eye, still echoing that historic night at K.B. Hallen when The Beatles sent Copenhagen into a frenzy.

The signed programme from The Beatles’ concert at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen on 4 June 1964 is estimated at DKK 60,000–80,000 and will be on sale at Bruun Rasmussen’s Live Auction on 3 December. More information.