Nearly 50 years after David Bowie performed his Isolar II tour at London’s Earls Court, never-before-seen 35mm footage of the summer 1978 concerts is being transformed into a global arena experience titled Stage, slated to premiere in February 2027 in collaboration with Brett Morgen.
The Bottom Line
- The world premiere of Stage will take place on February 14, 2027, at Berlin’s Uber Arena in association with the 77th Berlin Film Festival, with tickets going on sale Friday (October 30).
- Director Brett Morgen uncovered the original camera negatives 10 years ago while making his Grammy-winning documentary Moonage Daydream.
- The production pairs the restored 35mm footage with transparent LED screens, a lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, and a spatial audio mix by Oscar winner Paul Massey.
Unearthing the 1978 Earls Court Footage
Bowie originally commissioned David Hemmings to film two concerts during the London leg of the 1978 tour, which celebrated his albums Low and Heroes. At the time, Bowie intended to release the material as a concert film that could play in nontraditional venues, as he would not hit the road again until his 1983 Serious Moonlight run. However, other studio projects intervened, and the project sat untouched. Bowie himself remarked in 2000 that he simply disliked the original shooting style, though he suspected it would eventually see the light of day.
BRETT MORGEN ANNOUNCES DAVID BOWIE IN "STAGE" IN THE GUARDIAN“Waiting for the gift of sound and vision…” Today’s (Tuesday 27th) The Guardian newspaper in the UK has an exclusive piece regarding the long-awaited film: DAVID BOWIE IN "STAGE".We don’t want to give too much… pic.twitter.com/B3gx614BZk
The footage remained in the David Bowie archives until Brett Morgen gained access to Hemmings’ original camera negatives while assembling Moonage Daydream. Morgen spent years executing meticulous colour grading, relighting, and hand-painting on the physical 35mm stock. The project emerged in 2018 and accelerated in 2024 when former AEG Live President of International Rob Hallett joined the team alongside Wonderworld and the David Bowie Estate.
Arena Technology and the Berlin World Premiere
Scheduled to debut on February 14, 2027, at the 17,000-capacity Uber Arena in association with the 77th Berlin Film Festival, Stage aims to dissolve the barrier between archival projection and live performance. The production utilizes large-scale projections alongside transparent LED screens to create the illusion that Bowie and his band are physically present on stage. The visual presentation is paired with an elaborate lighting scheme designed by Patrick Woodroffe, whose credits include tours with The Rolling Stones and Elton John.
| Production Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| World Premiere Date | February 14, 2027 |
| Venue | Uber Arena, Berlin |
| Key Collaborators | Brett Morgen, Rob Hallett, David Bowie Estate |
| Audio Design | Paul Massey (7.1 Surround & Spatial Audio) |
The auditory experience relies on 7.1 surround technology and spatial audio design spearheaded by Academy Award winner Paul Massey. Reviewing the original 1978 concerts, critic Nick Kent described how Bowie’s backing band—featuring guitarists Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, keyboardist Roger Powell, pianist Sean Mayes, and violinist Simon House—delivered a shimmering sizzle that left audiences spellbound.
Global Tour Rollout Following Berlin Debut
Following its launch at the Berlin Film Festival, the immersive production will expand across Europe in May 2027, stopping in cities throughout Germany, Austria, and France. By June and July, the tour will head to the UK, including a show at Earls Court. The live presentation arrives amidst wider global celebrations surrounding Bowie80, a series of international events marking what would have been the musician’s 80th birthday.
