Fresh off being crowned Smile FM’s Best Artist Ever by listeners, rock legends Queen are returning to the big screen with the worldwide cinema release of Queen Budapest, a newly restored concert film marking the 40th anniversary of one of the band’s most historic performances.

The concert, captured on July 27, 1986, at Budapest’s Népstadion, marked a milestone in music history as Queen became the first Western rock band to perform a stadium show behind the Iron Curtain. The performance also proved to be the last ever filmed live concert featuring Freddie Mercury, with the band’s final tour ending just weeks later.

The film has been meticulously restored in 4K from the original 35mm footage by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production team, while the original multitrack recordings have been newly remixed to deliver what producers describe as the most immersive presentation of the concert to date.

Queen Budapest will receive a global theatrical release, including IMAX screenings, from October 7, before arriving on Blu-ray, DVD, CD, vinyl and digital formats on October 30.

The concert featured many of Queen’s biggest hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “We Are The Champions,” “Under Pressure,” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” It also captured an emotional performance of the traditional Hungarian folk song “Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt,” which Mercury and guitarist Brian May learned especially for the occasion.

Reflecting on the performance, May said fans behind the Iron Curtain had previously only been able to hear Queen’s music through illegal cassette recordings.

“This concert, when they could finally come and see us live in person and interact with us, was a huge emotional moment for them and also for us. It felt like a very big deal.”

Drummer Roger Taylor said the concert demonstrated music’s ability to transcend politics.

“When the audience just started singing, we realised, wow, music really can be a great cause.”

May also praised the restoration, saying audiences would feel as though they were attending the concert in person.

“The image quality is wonderful – you’ll feel like you’re there. In IMAX, it is going to be colossal.”

The restored film will premiere at the Budapest Classics Film Marathon on September 15, followed by a UK premiere in London on September 30, ahead of its worldwide cinema release.

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