26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grateful Dead's San Francisco concert film hits IMAX theaters for band's 60th anniversary
The Grateful Dead is headed to the big screen.
In honor of the legendary Bay Area band's 60th anniversary, Rhino Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing will release the newly remastered 1977 concert film 'The Grateful Dead Movie' in 60 IMAX theaters across the country.
The screenings are part of the Dead's annual 'Meet Up at the Movies,' an annual event where the band's concert films or videos are screened, and will hit select theaters on Aug. 13, followed by a wide release on Aug. 14. Tickets are on sale at
Directed by Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia and documentarian Leon Gast, the movie was filmed during a five-night run at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom in October 1974, which at the time were thought to be the band's final performances. The Oct. 20, 1974, show was billed as 'The Last One.' The concerts featured the Dead's 'Wall of Sound,' the sound system that was designed specifically for the band and that redefined concert audio.
A favorite among Deadheads, 'The Grateful Dead Movie' also features interviews with band members and crew, a rare focus on the band's fans and even animation.
David Lemieux, the Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager, said in a statement that after experiencing the film in IMAX, 'It was the greatest screening I've ever experienced of a film I've seen hundreds of times.'
Also included, after the film, is the theatrical premiere of 'China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider,' a bonus live performance from the Winterland shows not included in the official film release.
The 'Meet Up at the Movies' event follows a three-day concert at Golden Gate Park Aug. 1-3 that is expected to draw 60,000 fans per day. The performances, held at Polo Fields, will feature surviving members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart playing along with their band Dead & Company, which includes an ensemble of musician friends — guitarist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, pianist Jeff Chimenti and drummer Jay Lane. Tickets are on sale at
