Every so often, a piece of pop history thought lost to time quietly resurfaces.
And in the case of George Michael, it’s a big one.
Long-missing footage from one of the most famous shows of the singer’s career has been painstakingly restored and remastered, with plans now in place to release it in cinemas across the world later this year. The project, titled George Michael: The Faith Tour, promises fans a rare glimpse into a defining moment in the late icon’s career, and into the explosive success that followed his first solo album.
The concert film centres on the European leg of Michael’s 1988 Faith tour, with footage captured over two nights at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris. For fans of the era, it’s essentially a time capsule of the moment George Michael stepped fully into his own as a solo star.
And it wasn’t a small moment.
The film itself has been directed by two of Michael’s longtime collaborators and close friends, Andy Morahan and David Austin, both of whom were heavily involved in shaping the visual identity of the Faith era. Their involvement suggests that the project is less a standard archive release and more a carefully curated tribute to a defining chapter in Michael’s career.
Before the concert begins, audiences will also be treated to a short introductory film exploring the cultural impact of the Faith tour. That segment has been created by photographer Mary McCartney and features voice-over drawn from a previously unheard interview with Michael himself.
Alongside that audio, viewers will see unseen images from acclaimed photographer Herb Ritts and behind-the-scenes footage from the iconic Faith music video, offering a deeper look at the creative explosion that surrounded the record.
And the celebrations don’t stop there.
Arriving alongside the film will be a brand-new 18-track live album packed with previously unreleased recordings from the Faith tour. The collection will also include performances spanning Michael’s earlier career, including songs from his time with Wham!.
The release follows the recent vinyl reissue of Faith, a reminder of just how monumental that album was when it first arrived.
Written, produced and largely performed by George Michael himself when he was just 24, Faith became one of the most dominant pop releases of its era. The album earned him the Grammy for Album of the Year, the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist, three American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and an Ivor Novello Award for International Hit of the Year.
Commercially, it was just as unstoppable. The record has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, cementing its place as one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Even more remarkably, Michael remains the only British male solo artist to achieve four number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 from a single album. Faith, Father Figure, One More Try and Monkey all reached the top spot.
Production on George Michael: The Faith Tour comes from Mercury Studios, the same team behind concert films including One to One: John & Yoko and Prince – Sign O’ the Times, working in collaboration with George Michael Entertainment.
A distributor and official cinema release date are expected to be announced soon.
The timing feels especially poignant. December 2026 will mark ten years since George Michael’s passing, making this rediscovered footage less just a concert film, and more a reminder of the scale, charisma and cultural impact of one of pop’s most enduring stars.
