Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney Electrify Fans with ‘Dance Tonight’ Duet

On December 31, 2007, BBC Two’s Jools’ Annual Hootenanny delivered one of its most delightful surprises—a vibrant and unexpected duet between two music icons: Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue. As the clock ticked toward midnight, the pair lit up the stage with a performance of McCartney’s feel-good track “Dance Tonight,” bringing charm, warmth, and toe-tapping joy to New Year’s Eve viewers across the UK.

The song, which opens McCartney’s 2007 album Memory Almost Full, was born from a sweet moment with his daughter Beatrice, who couldn’t resist dancing to his mandolin strumming. That spirit of spontaneous happiness carried through in the Hootenanny performance, with McCartney on mandolin and Minogue lending her smooth pop vocals to the mix. Their easy chemistry and shared energy turned the song into a celebration of connection and movement—perfect for ringing in a new year.

“Dance Tonight” had already made waves earlier in the year, climbing to number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and earning McCartney a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. But this live duet gave the track fresh life, offering fans a rare blend of classic rock and pop elegance on a single stage.

Filmed at the BBC Television Centre in London, the show featured a stacked lineup including the Kaiser Chiefs, Madness, Kate Nash, Seasick Steve, Mika, and more. Still, it was the McCartney-Minogue moment that stood out—a cross-generational, genre-blending highlight that captured the heart of the celebration.

To this day, their duet is remembered as one of the standout moments in Hootenanny history, a shining example of how great music—and great musicians—can bring people together in the most unexpected and joyful ways.