When was the final Beatles tour?

Answer 1

Their last tour was in the summer of 1966, with the Philippines going from welcoming them to reviling them overnight, after they no-showed to the President's birthday party. (Their manager had declined the invitation, not knowing Filipino custom that it would be a disgrace not to attend.)

From there they landed in the United States, to the news that their records were being burned in the "Bible Belt", in reaction to a comment Lennon had made months earlier about The Beatles phenomenon ("we're more popular than Jesus now"), and (as they only learned later) their touring airplane being shot at, when they visited Texas. Pranksters at concerts added to the tension by setting off firecrackers and cherry bombs; at one such concert, everyone thought sure for a moment one or more Beatles had been shot.

The Beatles had gotten no pleasure out of touring for some time anyway, being unable to hear themselves over the crowd noise, play new songs onstage the way they sounded on record (with sound effects, and string sections), fill the expectations of well-meaning locals who brought sickly and physically-challenged people to meet the band ("Were we supposed to touch them and cure them, or something?!"), and enjoy any of the regular attractions of the places they visited. (In some cities like Tokyo, savvy store managers brought selections of merchandise to the Beatles' hotel suite, for them to browse.)

Even a public apology from Lennon ("I didn't mean we were greater or better") was slow to gain acceptance, concert attendance was down, and the band decided they'd had enough of touring. Lennon later wrote "I always remember to thank Jesus for the end of my touring days."