Queen Budapest 1986 Concert Film Headed to IMAX

Queen’s majestic 1986 gig in Hungary, marking the band’s final filmed performance with Freddie Mercury, is heading to the big screen this fall. Queen Budapest will open on Oct. 7 with screenings at more than 2,000 cinemas, including select IMAX locations. Full ticketing details are available through a bespoke website.

Inside the Restored 1986 Budapest Concert Film

The film’s trailer opens with Mercury alone on the stage performing one of his signature “Aaayyoo” calls with the audience. It proceeds to showcase the group launching into “We Will Rock You,” alongside footage of Mercury wearing a crown and cape while shirtless. Snippets of performances like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Are the Champions” are also featured.

The restored footage captures intimate band and crowd moments, including Mercury strutting across the stage, bassist John Deacon having a smoke, audience members waving sparklers, and guitarist Brian May crouching with his instrument. Around half a dozen partly-consumed beers sit atop Mercury’s piano as he addresses the crowd, remarking, “This is a night we’re never gonna forget.”

The screenings will also include a new interview with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, where the surviving members reflect on the historic concert.

The Massive Scale of the Historic Népstadion Show

The concert took place on July 27, 1986, at Budapest’s Népstadion. The massive show drew a reported 80,000 ticketholders inside the venue, alongside an estimated 45,000 additional fans listening from outside the stadium.

The band delivered a hit-filled 25-song set list that included performances of “Under Pressure,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “I Want to Break Free,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and “Radio Ga Ga.” The set also featured an acoustic rendition of the Hungarian folk song “Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt.”

4K Restoration and Audio Remixed at Peter Jackson’s Facility

Originally shot on 35mm by what producers describe as “Hungary’s best cameramen,” the footage has been meticulously restored to 4K quality. The restoration utilized equipment at Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production facility in New Zealand.

Along with the visual upgrade, the producers remixed the soundtrack. The audio will see a physical release on CD and a triple-LP, arriving alongside Blu-ray and DVD editions of the film on Oct. 30.

Queen ultimately concluded their Magic Tour with a performance on Aug. 9, 1986, in their native U.K. That concert marked the final time Freddie Mercury ever performed live with the band prior to his death in 1991.