It was the May 17, 1966 Bob Dylan concert at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. The heckle happened during the electric set, and Dylan fired back from the stage before the band launched into “Like a Rolling Stone”.

Quick Scoop

  • The famous “Judas!” shout was at Dylan’s Manchester show, not Newport or Royal Albert Hall.
  • That moment became one of the best-known scenes in rock history and helped define the so-called “Judas Tour”.
  • Reports say Dylan responded, “I don’t believe you. You’re a liar,” then told the band to play loud.

Why it matters

The heckle symbolized the backlash Dylan faced for “going electric,” which had already started at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The Manchester moment is the one most people mean when they ask about the “Judas” shout.

TL;DR

The “Judas” heckle happened at Bob Dylan’s Manchester Free Trade Hall concert on May 17, 1966.