The digital event follows a triumphant August cinema run across 150 UK screens—where over 60 screenings sold out, propelling the film to the fourth highest-grossing release on opening night and £200,000 in first-week box office takings. Chronicling the Manchester favourites’ improbable rise since the early 1980s, the film traces a decade of wild missteps, including joining a strict meditation cult that cost them a US tour with The Smiths, turning down Factory Records, hiring a drummer on a psychic’s advice, and undergoing medical experiments to pay the bills before 1991 anthem “Sit Down” sparked national stardom.
Blending unseen archive material, backstage footage, and contributions from Chris Martin, Brian Eno, and Jo Whiley, the documentary charts their 1990s chart highs, internal turbulence, millennium split, and triumphant 2007 reunion that ultimately delivered their biggest arena tours and a UK number one studio album. Director Chris Atkins noted that after watching the film pack cinemas across Britain, he was thrilled to share it globally alongside unearthed bonus scenes that were tough to cut from the theatrical edit.
Manager Neil Hughes added that following worldwide requests on social media since the Manchester premiere, the band is delighted international audiences can finally experience both the film and the live Aviva Studios event. Time-limited access passes are priced at £14.99 and grant a 96-hour viewing window, beginning at 7pm GMT on 3 December for advance buyers or from the moment of purchase until sales close at 11:59pm GMT on Sunday 6 December.
