Captured on July 27, 1986, at Budapest's Nepstadion, during the band's 'The Magic Tour', the concert was a groundbreaking moment, as Queen became the first Western rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain during a period of profound cultural and political change.
In addition to 80,000 tickets selling out, an estimated 45,000 people listened to the group outside, and some fans had travelled from as far away as Russia and Poland to see the concert. The show was professionally filmed on 35 mm movie film by 17 of Hungary's best cameramen. The gear employed included 17 cameras and 25 miles of film, which was all that was available in the country, and the Hungarian government approved the entire operation, which was a first for a Communist State.
"For years, fans behind the Iron Curtain had been able to listen to Queen music only on illegal cassettes,” says Brian May. “It was a forbidden thing to listen to rock bands like us, so to see them play in a live show would have been unthinkable. 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 - you could feel that incredible energy. There will never be an event quite like that again. Perhaps the most memorable highlight of all was performing that beautiful Hungarian folk song, which Freddie and I had learned for the occasion. Not a dry eye!"
"We did love to think that the music could transcend the politics, the political barriers, and that was sort of part of our ethos, to actually bring the audience into the show and make them feel part of the show,” adds Roger Taylor. “I know Freddie tried to learn this folk song, but he had the words written phonetically on the back of his hand. When the audience just started singing, we realized, wow, music really can be a great cause."
The 4K restoration of “Queen Budapest” will have its world premiere at the Budapest Classics Film Marathon on September 15, hosted by the National Film Institute of Hungary, as part of the festival's program celebrating restored and rediscovered cinema. A UK premiere will take place in London on September 30, with further details to follow.
“Queen Budapest” will be accompanied by a multi-format package via Hollywood Records in North America and Legacy Recordings, the catalogue division of Sony Music, internationally on October 30. The soundtrack, newly remixed from the original multitrack by Queen's studio team, will be released alongside the Blu-Ray, DVD, CD & Digital editions as a 3LP vinyl set for the very first time.
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