Brett Morgen, director of the 2022 David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, discovered reels of 35mm film in Bowie’s archive containing footage of the singer’s performances at Earl’s Court in 1978. The material had been filmed by director David Hemmings but remained unseen for nearly five decades after Bowie decided against releasing it at the time.
Bowie had originally commissioned the footage with the intention of screening it in theatres as an alternative to touring. However, after beginning work on the Lodger album and relocating to Switzerland, he shelved the project. Before his death in 2016, Bowie expressed interest in finally releasing the material. Morgen’s restoration team spent approximately 10 years and over 1,000 hours color-grading the footage to prepare it for presentation.
The film combines performances from two of three sold-out shows at the London venue, where Bowie was touring the albums Low and “Heroes”. Notably, the July 1 performance includes the first-ever live rendition of “Sound and Vision”. Morgen removed extraneous material that Hemmings had added to the original footage, focusing instead on Bowie’s performance at what Morgen describes as the peak of the artist’s powers.
Rather than a traditional cinema release, the project will debut as a multimedia arena experience featuring multiple screens, integrated lighting, and 7.1 surround sound. The presentation is designed to contrast the 1978 performances with contemporary production techniques. The film is scheduled to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2027 before beginning its arena tour.
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