David Bowie's Lost 1978 Concert to Return as Immersive Arena Show at Berlinale
Unseen film of David Bowie's 1978 Isolar II tour will return to arenas as Stage, an immersive concert experience premiering at Berlin's Uber Arena on 14 February 2027 as part of the 77th Berlin International Film Festival, the official David Bowie announcement said on 27 October.
Footage unseen for almost 50 years
The show is assembled from raw, unseen 35mm film shot during Bowie's concerts at London's Earls Court, where he was touring in support of his albums Low and Heroes, according to the announcement. The concerts formed the basis of Bowie's 1978 live album Stage, and the footage has sat untouched in the Bowie Archives for almost 50 years.
Filmmaker Brett Morgen found the original camera negatives while working on Moonage Daydream, his documentary about Bowie's life and career, Deadline reported. Morgen, whose credits also include Cobain: Montage of Heck, has spent years restoring and reworking the material with the David Bowie Estate.
A concert rebuilt for arenas
Rather than a straightforward screening, Stage will present the footage across multiple screens, with transparent LED displays, lighting designed by Patrick Woodroffe and an immersive audio mix by Academy Award winner Paul Massey, the announcement said. The aim, according to the producers, is to place audiences inside the concert, with the band appearing to materialise on stage.
Woodroffe's credits include work with the Rolling Stones and Elton John, SPIN reported, while Massey's include Bohemian Rhapsody and Moonage Daydream. The band captured on film included guitarists Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew, Uncut reported, playing songs drawn heavily from Low and Heroes alongside classics such as Ziggy Stardust and Rebel Rebel.
Berlin first, then the road
Berlin holds a particular meaning for the project: Bowie lived in the city in the mid-1970s, when he recorded the albums associated with this period, Deadline reported. Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle said hosting the premiere in a city so closely connected to Bowie made the occasion especially meaningful, according to Deadline's account of the announcement.
After the Berlin premiere, Stage is due to tour Europe in May 2027, followed by dates in the United Kingdom in June and July, including a return to Earls Court, SPIN reported. Tickets for the Berlin premiere go on sale on 28 October, according to the official announcement.
Sources: davidbowie.com, 27 October 2026; SPIN, 27 October 2026; Uncut, 27 October 2026; Pollstar, 27 October 2026.