Sir Mick Jagger turned up at the Half Moon in Oxford on Sunday night and joined a pub folk session with local students, giving the room an unexpected visit from one of rock’s biggest names. The 82-year-old Rolling Stones frontman was seen singing the traditional song Handsome Molly at the St Clements venue, alongside fellow punters and musicians.
The moment landed because it came not on a stadium stage, but inside a weekly session at a small pub that is open to beginners as well as seasoned players. Jagger was in the city with his partner, former American ballerina Melanie Hamrick, and the pair were guests of Oriel College before a small group moved on after dinner and drinks in the SCR to the Half Moon. There, Jagger performed with Rolling Stones keyboard player Matt Clifford and Oriel Politics academic Robert Cheah, in a setting that regulars say prides itself on an authentic atmosphere and welcoming community.
A spokesman at the pub said the team were delighted by the surprise cameo. Johnnie, speaking for the venue, said the Sunday folk session has been running for many years and is open to everyone, adding that you never know what to expect at the Half Moon. That openness is what made the appearance stand out: a global rock star walked into a room that treats a beginner player no differently from an international rock star.
The song choice carried its own echo. Handsome Molly appeared on Jagger’s 1993 solo album Wandering Spirit, linking the pub singalong to a track from a much older chapter of his career. His last public performance with the Rolling Stones came in 2024 on the Hackney Diamonds Tour, and the band’s new album Foreign Tongues is due for release in July.
What remains unclear is whether the Oxford performance was recorded or will be released publicly. For now, the moment belongs to the people who were there: students, pubgoers and a few surprised regulars who walked into a Sunday folk night and found Mick Jagger in the circle.
