Wham!’s historic China concerts revisited in new documentary featuring unseen George Michael footage

More than four decades after Wham! made music history by becoming the first Western pop act to perform in Communist China, a new documentary is taking audiences back to one of the most remarkable moments in the band’s career.

WHAM! 10 Days In China arrives in cinemas worldwide on 28 July 2026, bringing together newly restored archive footage, first hand accounts and new interviews to revisit the duo’s landmark 1985 visit. Directed by Mike Christie and produced by Supercollider in partnership with Sony Music Vision, the 90 minute documentary explores not only the concerts themselves but also the pressures, diplomacy and personal moments that unfolded behind the scenes.

For fans of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, it offers the most detailed look yet at a journey that changed the band’s future and left a lasting cultural legacy.

The trip that made music history

By the spring of 1985, Wham! had become one of the biggest pop acts in the world, with chart topping hits including “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”, “Freedom” and “Careless Whisper”.

Manager Simon Napier Bell devised an ambitious plan that would see George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley become the first Western pop stars to perform in Communist China.

The concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou attracted worldwide attention and became one of the defining moments of the band’s career. At a time when China maintained strict controls over Western popular music, the visit was viewed as a significant cultural milestone, introducing thousands of concertgoers to a level of international pop performance they had rarely experienced before.

Rather than following a lengthy American arena tour, Ridgeley explains the China visit was a carefully planned career move. He has said George’s previous vocal problems during the 1983 Club Fantastic Tour also influenced decisions about future touring, with concerns about placing further strain on his voice.

Restored footage finally sees the light of day

The documentary features material that remained unseen for decades after the original project failed to reach audiences following creative differences surrounding its direction.

Alongside archive interviews with George Michael, the film includes new contributions from Andrew Ridgeley, members of the touring party and Chinese people whose lives were influenced by the concerts.

The restored footage captures life away from the stage, where official receptions, diplomatic engagements and tightly managed promotional appearances became a major part of the visit.

Ridgeley admits he struggled with aspects of the carefully organised schedule and has reflected candidly on his own behaviour during the tour, acknowledging that he did not always handle the experience particularly well.

The documentary also shows George’s growing frustration with some of the official commitments. According to advance coverage of the film, one sequence captures him leaving partway through a cassette signing, leaving Andrew to explain his absence before joking that his friend had left him “in the lurch” before.

Extraordinary moments behind the scenes

Beyond the concerts themselves, WHAM! 10 Days In China also revisits several dramatic events experienced by the touring party.

Among the most startling accounts comes from backing singer Shirlie Kemp, who recalls a frightening incident during an internal flight across China. According to interviews featured in advance coverage of the documentary, a member of the touring party seriously injured himself and attempted to enter the aircraft cockpit, leaving those travelling with the band deeply shaken.

The film also explores the contrast between the polished public image presented to the world’s media and the realities of an exhausting ten day diplomatic tour that demanded constant travel, official ceremonies and carefully choreographed appearances.

Despite those pressures, Ridgeley says revisiting the footage reminded him of the friendship he shared with George and the extraordinary experience they lived through together.

A cultural legacy that continues today

While the concerts generated worldwide publicity for Wham!, Ridgeley believes their greatest legacy lies elsewhere.

One of the audience members at the Beijing performance was Cui Jian, who would later become known as the “godfather of Chinese rock”. Ridgeley believes seeing Wham! perform helped inspire Cui’s musical journey, making that influence one of the most meaningful outcomes of the visit.

The documentary also revisits China through modern eyes, speaking to people whose lives were shaped by those performances and demonstrating how music can continue to influence cultures decades after a concert has ended.

More than forty years later, the band’s visit remains one of the defining moments in the relationship between Western popular music and modern China.

George Michael’s lasting LGBTQ+ legacy

Although WHAM! 10 Days In China focuses on the band’s historic visit rather than George Michael’s personal life, the documentary also serves as a reminder of the remarkable legacy he left behind.

Following Wham!‘s split in 1986, George became one of the world’s most successful solo artists before later becoming one of the highest profile openly gay musicians. His decision to live openly, alongside his philanthropy, advocacy and extraordinary catalogue of music, helped inspire generations of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

More than nine years after his death on Christmas Day 2016, George remains one of the most influential LGBTQ+ figures in popular music, with documentaries such as this introducing new audiences to his life, career and enduring impact.

A friendship remembered

Some of the documentary’s most emotional moments are also its simplest.

Ridgeley has said that watching the restored footage reminded him of George’s remarkable talent and the close friendship they shared throughout Wham!’s rise to international fame.

He has also singled out George’s performance of “Careless Whisper” during the China concerts as one of the finest live performances he ever witnessed, describing it as a lasting record of his friend’s brilliance.

For fans, the documentary is both a celebration of an extraordinary musical achievement and a touching tribute to one of Britain’s greatest performers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What is WHAM! 10 Days In China about?

The documentary revisits Wham!’s historic 1985 visit to China using restored archive footage, interviews and behind the scenes material that remained unseen for decades.

2.When is WHAM! 10 Days In China released?

The documentary opens in cinemas worldwide on 28 July 2026 through Trafalgar Releasing. It is also scheduled to air later on BBC Two and become available on BBC iPlayer.

3.Why was Wham!’s China tour so important?

Wham! became the first Western pop act to perform in Communist China, making the concerts a landmark moment in both music and cultural history.

4.Who appears in the documentary?

The film includes Andrew Ridgeley, archive material featuring George Michael, members of the touring party including Shirlie Kemp, and contributors reflecting on the lasting impact of the concerts, including Chinese rock pioneer Cui Jian.

5.Why was the footage unseen for so long?

Much of the material remained unreleased for decades after creative differences prevented the original documentary project from being completed and distributed.

6.Where can UK viewers watch the documentary?

The film receives its first release in cinemas before later being broadcast on BBC Two and becoming available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Wham!’s China timeline

1981: George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley form Wham!

April 1985: Wham! perform in Beijing and Guangzhou, becoming the first Western pop act to perform in Communist China.

1986: Wham! split following a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium, with George launching his solo career.

25 December 2016: George Michael dies aged 53.

28 July 2026: WHAM! 10 Days In China receives its worldwide cinema release, featuring restored footage from the historic visit.