David Bowie’s Previously Unseen 1978 Concert Film ‘Stage’ to Hit Arenas as ‘Immersive Experience’
A previously unseen David Bowie concert film, *Stage*, will debut as an immersive arena experience in Berlin on 14 February. The project brings restored footage from Bowie’s 1978 Isolar II tour to large screens with spatial audio and lighting, aiming to recreate the feeling of attending a live performance.
Filmmaker Brett Morgen found the original 35mm negatives while making *Moonage Daydream* and spent nearly a decade restoring and editing them. The three-screen production features Bowie performing songs including “Heroes”, “Fame” and “Ziggy Stardust”, backed by a band including Adrian Belew and Carlos Alomar. The premiere is part of the 77th Berlin Film Festival, with the format designed for venues seating at least 5,000.
In short
- Lost 1978 Bowie footage becomes an immersive arena show.
- The Berlin premiere is set for 14 February.
- The restored film features songs including “Heroes” and “Fame”.
Explained simply
David Bowie was a British singer and songwriter whose changing musical styles and stage personas made him a major figure in popular music. In 1978, he toured with a band that included guitarists Adrian Belew and Carlos Alomar, performing songs from across his career.
Bowie’s 1978 Isolar II tour followed the release of his albums Low and “Heroes”, which explored a more experimental sound than many of his earlier records. Concert films preserve performances for people who could not attend, while restoration can make old film footage clearer for new audiences.
Brett Morgen is a filmmaker who worked with archival footage for his Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream. Large-screen projections and spatial audio are designed to give audiences a sense of the scale and sound of a live concert.