Restored 1972 ‘Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii’ Getting Special Theatrical Release in Imax

During the 1960s, Syd Barrett, Richard Wright, Roger Waters, and Nick Mason joined forces to create the English rock band Pink Floyd. Over the decades that followed, the band watched their stardom hit new levels as they sold over 250 million albums and landed in the UK Music Hall of Fame and the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And not just the band, but the albums The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were placed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Holding their own spot in the progressive rock genre, one of Pink Floyd’s most iconic performances, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii will get a theatrical release. 

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Back in 1971, director Adrian Maben had the idea of getting Pink Floyd to perform at the famed Roman amphitheater in Pompeii. Although the band knew how to entertain a crowd of thousands, Maben did away with fans and allowed the group to perform alone. Recording the concert, the film featured songs like “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” It also offered fans a glimpse into Pink Floyd working on The Dark Side of the Moon at the Abbey Road studios. 

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Pink Floyd Gets Film And Soundtrack Release

Discussing the special concert being transformed in 4K quality for an Imax release, the director of restoration, Lana Topham, said, “Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd at Pompeii. So the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment.” 

While the footage has been restored, Steven Wilson worked on giving the sound new life. Thrilled about the experience, Wilson insisted, “Ever since my dad brainwashed me as a kid by playing The Dark Side of the Moon on repeat, Pink Floyd have been my favourite band. They are my Beatles, deeply ingrained in my musical DNA. I first saw Pompeii from a grainy print at a local cinema. It made an incredible impression on me with its untethered and exploratory rock music made by four musicians who seemed to epitomise the notion of intellectual cool.”

For fans looking to take a trip into the past, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii will be released in theaters on April 24th. And besides getting a theatrical run in Imax, fans will also get a soundtrack release. 

(Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)