Legendary unseen 1978 David Bowie concert ‘Stage’ to hit arenas as “global immersive experience”, made with Brett Morgen
A massive unseen David Bowie concert from 1978 called ‘Stage’ is set to hit arenas as “global immersive experience” in 2027, made in collaboration with Brett Morgen.
The new stage show is set to blur the lines between a concert film and a live performance, and is made in partnership with Wonderworld, the David Bowie Estate and filmmaker Brett Morgen (Montage Of Heck, The Kid Stays In The Picture).
It also comes in association with the Berlin International Film Festival, and will be assembled from raw, unseen 35mm film – capturing the songwriter’s show at London’s Earls Court back in 1978.
That ‘Stage’ show was in celebration of Bowie’s iconic ‘Heroes’ album, and has remained untouched in the David Bowie archives for almost 50 years.
Now it will be made into a new live experience, with the footage displayed alongside a lightshow designed by Patrick Woodroffe (The Rolling Stones, Elton John) and an immersive audio mix by Academy Award winner Paul Massey (Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time To Die).
Morgen came across the previously unseen footage 10 years ago while working on the Grammy Award-winning documentary film Moonage Daydream, and the idea of making it into a showcase of its own emerged in 2018. It then got momentum in 2024 when former AEG Live President of International Rob Hallett joined the project.
“David Bowie has bestowed upon us an extraordinary treasure—an unprecedented concert experience that has yet to be witnessed,” Hallett shared. “Working hand-in-hand with David Bowie’s Estate and Brett Morgen, we are ensuring this experience is 100 per cent faithful to his legacy while making his genius accessible to global fans and a new generation.”
Alongside the original footage and the lightshow, there will be immersive audio mapping, and a full-range of transparent LED screens to create the illusion that Bowie and his band are physically present on stage.
The world premiere of ‘Stage’ will be held on February 14 2027 at Berlin’s Uber Arena, in association with the 77th Berlin Film Festival. Tickets go on sale on Friday (October 30) at 9am GMT and 10am CET. Visit here for more information.
In May, the tour will head across Europe with shows across other cities in Germany, Austria, France and more, and in June and July the live show will head to the UK – including a show at Earls Court.
Back in 2000, Bowie himself spoke about why the footage from the 1978 show was never released, saying (via The Guardian): “I simply didn’t like the way it had been shot… Now, of course, it looks pretty good and I would suspect that it would make it out some time in the future.”
Back in 1978, NME’s Nick Kent described the show as leaving him “spellbound”. He wrote: “Bowie was constantly on stage, a model of agility, and physical grace, determinedly ‘projecting’ while singing loud and dear in a voice that has seldom sounded better
“That shimmering sizzle, that fizzy brilliance that is undeniably attuned to Bowie’s work, was all there … It impressed me, it entertained me and very occasionally had me almost spellbound.”
The new event based around the ‘70s show comes amid the announcement of ‘Bowie80′, a series of special events, releases, collaborations and more taking place worldwide to celebrate what would have been the late music icon’s 80th birthday.
Earlier this year, another huge celebration of the late singer launched at London’s Lightroom. David Bowie: You’re Not Alone is a visual spectacle that tells his story using iconic performances, rarely seen interviews, and never-before-exhibited material, as well as huge screens and state-of-the-art audio.
Before then, a previously unheard David Bowie demo titled ‘Today’ was released. It was taken from an album that showcased a series of Early David Bowie songs from 1965 which featured a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page.
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