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The Rolling Stones at the ‘4th National Jazz And Blues Festival’
Richmond Athletic Ground, London, England, August 7, 1964
As the Rolling Stones brought their raw, electric energy to the 1964 National Jazz and Blues Festival, thousands of young fans descended on Richmond. An estimated 27,000 people attended over the weekend, and not all came with tickets or hotel bookings. Many camped out in the streets, parks, and along the river towpath—prompting Richmond police to take action. Officers moved about 400 youths from sleeping rough, with 20 arrests mostly for obstruction.
But it didn’t stop there. Several teens, some as young as 14, ended up in court after being caught sleeping in public spaces. While a few admitted to charges, most denied causing trouble. Magistrates issued either dismissals or absolute discharges, but concerns ran deeper. A police spokesman noted his unease about underage girls roaming free, hinting that many were younger than they claimed. He couldn’t understand how their parents had let them travel alone. Parents, meanwhile, were phoning in or arriving from out of town, worried sick over daughters who had vanished with vague notes about the festival. Police tried their best, but jeans and straight hair made the girls nearly impossible to tell apart.
The Stones Take the Stage—For the Last Time Here
Amid the chaos, the Rolling Stones headlined Friday night—sharing the bill mostly with lesser-known acts (aside from the T-Bones). It would be their last appearance at the Richmond festival. After this, they simply became too big, too fast, and far too expensive for organizers to book again. A portion of their set was caught on 8mm film and can be seen in archival footage online. That night, the Stones didn’t just perform—they signaled that a cultural shift was underway, leaving behind a festival that could barely contain them.
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