The best concert films of all time

You’ve just come in from work and let’s face it: the lure of the endless scroll is tempting. The newest TikTok trend. A backlog of reels from your group chat. Yet another AI generated bit of slop. We’ve got a better suggestion: sitting down and watching the best concert films of all time. 

Now, we know there’s nothing better than live music. But concert films give it you on tap, live and direct from the comfort of your own home. New artists, old artists, even your parents favourite artists – maybe approach that one with caution, though – are right at the tips of your fingers. Or, maybe you’re a cinematography nerd and the idea of a great visual is really appealing. Concert films have that and more. Plus, you won’t fry your brain. 

So, whether you’re after discovery, nostalgia or a few hours away from the usual channels, dive into our picks for best concert films of all time. You might leave with a new favourite artist. 

 

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rock

Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (1984)

Of course, we’re all about the music here at Skiddle. But if you watch Stop Making Sense for just one reason, make that reason be David Byrne’s suit. Just look at it. The size, the colour, the way it moves and makes his head look while he’s performing to the crowd. As for the rest of the film? Well, that’s pretty good too. It kicks off with Byrne on his own with an acoustic guitar and a boombox, and by the end, the whole band are out there, grooving and jiving and locked into rhythms so deep you can feel them in your soul. It’s one of the best concert films of all time. 

 

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Pink Floyd – Live at Pompeii (1972)

Live at Pompeii is like peering through a band’s practice session. Except… That band is Pink Floyd, they sound amazing and they’re playing in one of the most beautiful structures known to man. The band were always trippy, and the set and setting of this one is perfect. Long, epic tracks like ‘Echoes’ sprawl through the speakers while the camera pans around Pompeii, guitar solos ring on and on and on while gravel pits bubble and burst. It’s a complete fever dream and one we recommend. 

 

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Queen – Live at Wembley Stadium (1986)

Ahh, Freddie Mercury. Not only an icon, but someone who was born for the big screen. He struts, prowls and commands 72,000 fans, while Brian May and Roger Taylor take care of the sound, the combined effect a thunderous display of pop-rock power. Live at Wembley Stadium is theatrical, electric and simply Queen on their own terms. It’s 100% worth your time. 

 

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Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day (2012)

Much like the Oasis reunion, Led Zeppelin’s comeback gig at London’s O2 Arena in 2007 was a landmark day for rock dads who love cranking up the guitar solos to 11. We don’t mean that disparagingly, either. For a generation, a Led Zep reunion was something only conjured up in dreams, and when Jimmy Page’s guitar rings out for the first time? 20,000 people knew the next couple of hours would stay with them forever. Grab your air guitar and practice your best Jimmy Page moves to this one. 

 

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David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973)

Sam Smith and Harry Styles may have made waves for their flamboyance on stage, but before them? We had Bowie. In his final show as Ziggy Stardust, he’s raw, camp and unforgettable, belting out hits like ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Suffragette City’ in a whirlwind of glitter, platform boots, eyeliner and snarling glam-rock riffs. The filming is rough around the edges, sure, but we love it all the more. A time capsule of one of the world’s finest stars at the peak of their powers. 

 

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Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – London Calling: Live in Hyde Park (2010)

No one does it like The Boss. In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band took to the capital and delivered a three-hour lesson in rock n’ roll. But why is it one of the best concert films of all time? Well, just look at Bruce go. He treats to the crowd to all the classics – ‘Born to Run’, ‘Badlands’ and ‘Dancing in the Dark – keeping the energy high from start to finish. It’s passionate, it’s epic, it’s exciting, and we absolutely love it. Three cheers for The Boss, eh?

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hip-hop

Jay-Z – Fade to Black (2004)

Jay-Z is a billionaire businessman these days and it’s hard to imagine him ever really retiring. But in 2004, he was about to play his last show, inviting a camera crew to film the whole thing. The result? Fade to Black, which features Jay doing all the hits, bringing out Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Pharrell and Mary J. Blige (to name a few) and performing with a live band. Legendary MC Bruce Buffer even announced him to the stage. Pretty hefty stuff. It’s equal parts entertainment and insight, as we get interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Black Album. One for the performance and production heads alike.  

 

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Beyoncé & Jay-Z – On the Run Tour (2014)

Jay-Z’s other half, of course, is Beyoncé. Obviously, she’s a star in her own right, but when the two do perform together, it feels like a supernova of celebrity spectacle bursting into the room. For the On The Run Tour film, produced by HBO, that room was the Stade de France, and to be honest, they turned it upside down. 38 songs, duets, medleys, guest appearances, choreography: it’s all there. A blockbuster show and shoo-in for one of the best concert films of all time by two music powerhouses. 

 

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Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint Tour: Live from Brooklyn (2015)

In 2014, it felt like The Pinkprint was everywhere. We can still remember belting out ‘Anaconda’ in some sticky-floored uni club. Nicki had insane success with that album, and a year after she took it on the road, with the Barclays Centre leg being filmed for The Pinkprint Tour: Live from Brooklyn. It feels like a crowning moment on top of the crowning moment for Nicki, who rattles through the hits, shows off her spellbinding ability on the mic, does multiple costume changes and excites the fans with her trademark personality. 

 

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Eminem – Live from New York City (2005)

For a generation of people, Eminem was the rapper of the 90s. Tracks like ‘Stan’, ‘Without Me’ and ‘My Name Is’ struck a chord with many, and in 2005 he was perhaps at the summit of the creative and commercial mountain. Live from New York City shows that. He delivers his bars with fury and the crowd scream them back to him in sync, the show only growing in hype when D12, Obie Trice and Stat Quo take to the stage. It’s Eminem at his most aggressive and cathartic, an essential watch if you love hip-hop and all its history.

 

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dance & electronic

The Chemical Brothers – Don’t Think (2012)

Never mind one of the best concert films of all time, The Chemical Brothers’ Don’t Think is an audiovisual experience. Trippy, kaleidoscopic visuals flash over the camera, deep red lights set the mood and close up crowd shots show you just how hype the live performance was. Classics like ‘Star Guitar’ and ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ hit like a freight train, the whole thing perfectly encapsulating the euphoria and ecstasy of the rave experience. Check this one out and go on a journey. 

 

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Underworld – Everything, Everything (2000)

Underworld are brilliant playing through the speakers. But live? Even better. And if you’ve never had the chance to see them, you can watch Everything, Everything and get a slice of what their live show is all about. Fast, frenetic and full of energy, it’s a capsule of Underworld at their peak, transporting the otherworldly mood of their live show into video format, with tunes like ‘Born Slippy’ hitting as hard and intense as you’d hope. 

 

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Deadmau5 – Live @ Earls Court (2011)

The mask? The cube? The tunes? Deadmau5 is just iconic. Live @ Earls Court is one of the best concert films of all time because for many, the gig was both their introduction to his music and electronic music as a whole. Maybe you like hard techno now, but Deadmau5 was your first love. And it would be easy to see why. Even through a TV or laptop screen, the show looks and feels alive. Laser-like lights shine out across the crowd, drops build and build, peaking with a sense of fervour and wonder. Of course, the crowd go wild. Always.

 

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Orbital – Live at Glastonbury (2004)

Ever wanted to really dig into Orbital’s back catalogue and get a feel for what they’re about? Live at Glastonbury 1994-2004 is a great place to begin. As the title suggests, it compiles ten years' worth of Orbital performances at Glasto – nearly two hours in total! – and as expected, it’s brilliant. Trippy visuals? Check. Bleeps and bloops? Check. Insane builds and drops? Check. Put simply, it’s an essential watch and in our eyes, one of the best concert films of all time. 

 

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Pet Shop Boys – Cubism (2006)

Cubism is a great watch. With sharp choreography and inventive stage design, the film captures Pet Shop Boys at their best. Running through a setlist that spans their career, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe turn synth pop into spectacle with an ease that only the best can do. It’s camp, it’s emotional, and it’s precise – everything that makes the Pet Shop Boys so revered. 

 

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Depeche Mode – Devotional (1993)

Some say that Depeche Mode’s Devotional is one of the best concert films of all time. Would we agree? Yeah. Obviously, the music is more than stellar. But the look of the film counts just as much, film being a visual medium and all. It all feels very gothic, very high drama, reds, blues and purples interspersed with footage of burning candles, while Dave Gahan and the rest of the band, preachers of lust and despair, dish out their sermons to a very willing crowd. We love it, and we reckon you will too. 

 

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New Order – 316 (2001)

For those who like to see the evolution of a band's work, 316 is the perfect choice. It stitches together two shows – New Order’s headline set at Reading Festival 1998 and their New York gig in 1981 – and you can see the change. In New York, the band are raw, still one foot in the post-punk, Joy Division style sound. By 1998, they’re confident. Dancefloor anthems sit alongside rock hits, the crowd going wild to both. Part concert film, part document of transformation, it’s one that’s definitely worth your time. 

 

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indie & alternative

Nirvana – Live at the Paramount (2011 release of 1991 gig)

We could’ve picked Live at Reading, or we could’ve gone for Unplugged. But being honest? Live at The Paramount just feels like Nirvana. It’s in Seattle and shot on 16mm film, so it looks absolutely gorgeous. The sound is on point, too. Classics like ‘Breed’ sound like lightning in a bottle, while deeper cuts like ‘Aneurysm’ and ‘Floyd The Barber’ sound absolutely blistering. By 1991, Nirvana were ready to enter the vanguard of rock music and Live at The Paramount shows them at their raw, loud and intense best. Truly one of the best concert films of all time. 

 

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Pearl Jam – MTV Unplugged (1992)

No best concert films of all time list would be complete without one of the many MTV Unplugged sets, would it? We’ve gone with Pearl Jam, who were just about to come into international stardom when they recorded the set in 1992. Even with minimal prep, they still smashed it. ‘Even Flow’ loses none of its power when played acoustically, Eddie Vedder’s voice soaring from the soundsystem. Then, there’s ‘Alive’, which just sounds absolutely massive. A legendary set from a legendary band.  

 

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Radiohead – In Rainbows: From the Basement (2008)

From The Basement was filmed at London’s The Hospital Club and came out as part of the release of Radiohead's 2008 album, In Rainbows. It’s a no frills, stripped back performance with no crowd, and it’s all the better for it. The band are locked in, and we really get to see the emotion, technique and precision of their work, the majority of the setlist from In Rainbows itself. While it doesn’t have the hype of other films on the list, the musical prowess is on show, making it one of the best concert films of all time. 

 

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Arctic Monkeys – At the Apollo (2008)

Filmed at the final show of the Arctic Monkeys’ Favourite Worst Nightmare tour, At the Apollo is the band in their early peak. Fast, sharp, punky and brimming with wit, the monochrome cinematography adds flair, the whole performance looking as gorgeous as ever. Here, the band belt out all the classics, with ‘Brianstorm’, ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ and ‘505’ sounding absolutely massive. We all know what the Arctic Monkeys would go on to achieve, but watching At the Apollo? It’s clear that their later success was never in doubt. 

 

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pop

Prince – Sign o’ the Times (1987)

Watching Sign o’ the Times, even now, 38 years after the fact, just reminds us how untouchable Prince really was. It’s not just the music, either. The opening gambit, the narrative thread laced through the setlist, the visual of Cat Glover strutting her stuff through the fog of the smoke machine while he rips the guitar, Sheila E’s drum solo! This is all without the mention of the steady, funky chug of Prince and his band, a locked groove that never lets the audience go. Sit back with this one and watch a master at work. 

 

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Beyoncé – Homecoming (2019)

Homecoming really is one for the ages. It captures the headline set at Coachella 2018, the choreography, the dancers, the marching band and the career-spanning setlist. Not to mention that she was the first Black woman to top the festival bill. If you love Beyonce, then you’ve probably already seen it, but if you’re a music lover in general, it’s worth a look. You get to see one of the 21st Century’s most crucial artists commanding the stage, making for one of the best concert films of all time in our eyes.

 

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Madonna – The Confessions Tour (2006)

If there’s one thing about Madonna, she knows how to put on a show. On The Confessions Tour, she’s at full tilt. Theatrical, energetic and effortlessly shifting between the many eras of her career in real time. Hearing ‘Like a Virgin’ in the same setlist as ‘Hung Up’ feels natural, and of course, there’s a healthy dose of spectacle, costume change and choreography to dazzle the eyes. You get the feeling that only she could pull something like this off and it’s one of the best concert films of all time. 

 

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Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour (2023)

Is there anything Taylor Swift can’t do? From country to pop superstardom, she’s conquered two worlds, and on The Eras Tour concert film, she brings them to life in front of a 70k-strong crowd who simply couldn’t get enough. 

 

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Lady Gaga – The Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden (2011)

The Monster Ball Tour is Gaga at her best. One minute she’s belting out ‘Speechless’ at the piano and the next? She’s strutting through ‘Poker Face’ in an otherworldly outfit. But like everything Gaga does, there’s heart underneath the spectacle. She talks with the fans, makes them feel part of something larger and her live show becomes something of a family gathering – just with way more glitter, pyro and sass than your usual Sunday dinner. 

 

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And there you have it — twenty-six absolute belters that prove gig magic doesn’t just live on stage. Whether you’re into rock giants, pop icons, hip-hop heavyweights or the trippiest rave visuals, there’s something here to get stuck into. Concert films are about more than just the music; they’re time capsules, cultural moments and a chance to experience the energy of a live show whenever you fancy. Stick one on next time the endless scroll tempts you, turn the volume up loud, and let yourself get lost in it. These really are the best concert films of all time — and who knows, you might just find your new favourite artist along the way.

 

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