Nearly half a century after David Bowie’s 1978 performances at London’s Earls Court went on film but remained largely unseen, the footage is finally getting its closeup.
Stage, a new immersive concert experience built around the previously unreleased material, will premiere in Berlin next February before heading to arenas across Europe and the U.K. in 2027. The project brings together filmmaker Brett Morgen, whose Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream offered an expansive portrait of the artist, the David Bowie Estate and Wonderworld, the live entertainment company founded by former AEG Live international president Rob Hallett.
The show will combine restored 35mm concert footage with large-scale projections, transparent LED screens, lighting designed by Patrick Woodroffe — whose credits include the Rolling Stones and Elton John — and immersive audio mixed by Oscar winner Paul Massey (Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time To Die). The goal is to make the footage feel like Bowie and his band have materialized onstage.
The film captures Bowie during his Isolar II tour, which followed the release of the 1977 album “Heroes” and also featured material from his then-recent Berlin-era album Low. Morgen reportedly discovered the footage a decade ago while working on Moonage Daydream; the idea for a standalone presentation took shape in 2018 before gathering momentum in 2024.
The world premiere is set for Feb. 14 at Berlin’s Uber Arena, in association with the 77th Berlin International Film Festival. European dates are planned for May, followed by U.K. performances in June and July, including a return to Earls Court. Additional dates and cities are expected to be announced.
Stage was announced amid the Bowie estate’s rollout of Bowie80, a year-long global celebration of what would have been the icon’s 80th birthday on Jan. 8. The campaign encompasses exhibitions, archival projects, merchandise and live performances, including the symphonic production BOWIE (breaking) GLASS, which will pair Bowie’s original recordings with live musicians and orchestra alongside the music of Philip Glass. The immersive exhibition David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, meanwhile, is set to expand from London to Manchester, Brighton and Hamburg.