Forty years after one of the most famous concerts of their career, Queen are bringing “Queen Budapest” back to the big screen, the film that documents the historic live show on 27 July 1986 at the Népstadion in the Hungarian capital. Restored in 4K from the original 35mm negatives and with a new audio mix taken from multi-track recordings of the time, the film will arrive in cinemas and IMAX theaters around the world from October 7th. In Italy it will be distributed by Nexo Studios from 7 to 11 October.
In the middle of the 1980s, bringing rock to the other side of the Iron Curtain was almost an impossible task. Yet, on July 27, 1986, Queen succeeded, during The Magic Tour, thus becoming the first major Western band to perform in a stadium behind the Iron Curtain. Over 80,000 paying spectators attended the event, while it is estimated that around another 45,000 people followed the show from outside the venue, transforming it into one of the most significant musical events of the time.
Directed by János Zsombolyai, the film does not limit itself to documenting the concert, but alternates live performances with images of the band and fans, as well as sequences shot over the previous five days showing Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon discovering some of Budapest's symbolic places.
The setlist includes many of Queen's classics, including “We Will Rock You”, “We Are The Champions”, “A Kind Of Magic”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Under Pressure”, “Who Wants To Live Forever”, “Radio Ga Ga” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. One of the most exciting moments, however, remains the acoustic interpretation of the traditional Hungarian folk song “Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt”, prepared specifically for that evening.
“For years, fans living behind the Iron Curtain had only been able to hear Queen's music through illegal cassettes,” recalled Brian May. “Listening to rock bands like ours was forbidden, so seeing us perform live would have been unthinkable. This concert was a moment of enormous emotional intensity for them, and it was for us too. There was an incredible energy. There will never be an event like it again. Perhaps the most memorable moment of all was the performance of that beautiful Hungarian folk song, which Freddie and I had learned for the occasion.”
The release of the film will be followed, on 30 October, by the publication of the official soundtrack, remixed by the Queen studio team from the original concert tapes.
Before arriving in theaters, the 4K restoration will have its world premiere on September 15th at the Budapest Classics Film Marathon, with the UK premiere scheduled for September 30th in London.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
