The legendary concert, back on a Kansai cinema screen. “Queen: Budapest,” the 4K-restored film of Queen’s Budapest concert, will get special “Freddie Mercury Memorial Screenings” nationwide on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, the anniversary of his death. Venues in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Shiga and Wakayama are among them.
Japanese screening rights end on December 4 — this is the last chance on the big screen
The film was first released for just two nights (one week at some cinemas), and after the response it also got a four-day IMAX encore from October 31 to November 2. The memorial screenings mark what would have been Freddie’s 80th birthday and the 55th anniversary of Queen’s formation. Because the screening rights in Japan expire on December 4, this is billed as the last chance to see it in cinemas.
The footage was restored in 4K from the original film and is said to reproduce everything from the heat of the stage to the faces in the crowd. The restoration was done by the team led by Peter Jackson, and Brian May says it feels so immersive that “you forget you are watching a film.” A before-and-after video of the 4K restoration is also available on Queen’s official YouTube channel.
Photo: Courtesy of Sony Music
13 cinemas across Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Shiga and Wakayama
Kansai venues and dates are listed below (no Nara cinema is listed). Each cinema plans to start selling seats two days before the screening day on its own website; schedules vary by cinema and membership.
- Osaka: Namba Parks Cinema, AEON Cinema Ibaraki, AEON Cinema Theatas Shinsaibashi and MOVIX Yao (all on November 24); 109 Cinemas Minoh (Friday, November 13 – Thursday, November 19)
- Kyoto: MOVIX Kyoto, AEON Cinema Takanohara and AEON Cinema Kyoto Katsuragawa (all on November 24)
- Hyogo: 109 Cinemas HAT Kobe and Tsukaguchi Sunsun Theater (both Friday, November 20 – Thursday, November 26); MOVIX Amagasaki (November 24)
- Shiga: AEON Cinema Kusatsu (November 24)
- Wakayama: AEON Cinema Wakayama (November 24)
Tsukaguchi Sunsun Theater stands out: on Sunday, November 22 it plans an “all-standing live-style screening,” where you can stand, dance and sing along as you would at a real concert. The 109 Cinemas Minoh screening is a “Saion” (cheer-friendly sound) show.
A first-come A5 clear file for every visitor
Visitors to the memorial screenings receive a special venue-exclusive A5 clear file, one per person on a first-come basis. Distribution starts with the first screening at each cinema and ends when supplies run out.
For home viewing: Blu-ray and CDs on November 6
You can relive it at home too, with the releases from Sony Music on Friday, November 6. The Japanese Blu-ray is ¥5,940 (¥5,400 excl. tax) and the 2-CD set is ¥3,960 (¥3,600 excl. tax), both with a Japanese booklet. Digital streaming starts the same day. A Queen beginner’s page explaining why the band is still loved is also on Sony Music’s official site.
Screening information
- Film: “Queen: Budapest” (director: János Zsombolyai; with Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon)
- Screening date: Tuesday, November 24, 2026, and other dates (dates and periods vary by cinema; see above)
- Admission: ¥3,000 flat (surcharge for special formats and seats such as IMAX and Dolby Atmos)
- Visitor gift: A5 clear file (first come, one per person, while supplies last)
- Official film website (Japanese): https://www.culture-ville.jp/queen
- Queen beginner’s page (Japanese): https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/Queen/page/QueenBudapest
