The new Pulp film, What Do You Do For An Encore?, has been given a one-night-only release date in cinemas. Find out the details below, as well as the first trailer.
The Sheffield Britpop icons announced details of the new film and live album last month. Directed by Garth Jennings – who helmed the music videos for their songs ‘Help The Aged’ and ‘A Little Soul’ – the 90-minute movie features narration from frontman Jarvis Cocker, and charts the band’s “extraordinary journey from obscurity to cultural touchstone”.
Today (Thursday July 23), global distributor MUBI has confirmed that the firm will preview for one night only in UK and Irish cinemas on September 18, before heading to Canadian theatres on September 23 and US cinemas on September 24.
After the cinema run, the movie will be released exclusively on MUBI later in the year.
Expected to capture the spirit of the classic Talking Heads 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, Pulp’s new film will blend the “brilliantly choreographed stage spectacle” that the band had on their most recent arena tour – celebrating the release of ‘More’, their first album in 24 years – along with four decades of “colourful, never-seen-before archival material.”
A variety of fan-favourites and deep cuts make up the 20 songs included in the feature-length project, and you can find the newly released trailer above, which shows the huge crowds that the band have played to, as well as their elaborate stage backdrops.
“You’re invited to come and experience a night you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” a voiceover says in the clip, backed by footage of the band playing live in 2025 and snippets of them backstage in the ‘90s.
“How do you get to a moment like this? That’s a long story,” Cocker is heard saying, as a live rendition of ‘Spike Island’ plays in the background, “I’ll tell you it, if you’ve got the time.”
As well as making the music videos for two of Pulp’s songs, Jennings has also made visuals for Blur, Radiohead, Beck, R.E.M., Fatboy Slim and Vampire Weekend, as well as directing the 2005 sci-fi film The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, and writing animated movies Sing and Sing 2.
The film is produced by Octavia Peissel (Asteroid City), and edited by Barney Pilling (The Grand Budapest Hotel). Cocker himself is on board as an executive producer alongside Stuart Goldstein, Tom Healy and Rosie Taylor, Harper Simon and Mark Sainsbury.
The live album to accompany the feature film is called ‘Live!’ and will capture Pulp’s two sold-out shows at The O2 in London in June 2025.
“A concert is an event where songs come back to life,” Cocker said. “That’s why this album is called ‘Live!’. It’s both a statement of fact (it’s a recording of a live band) and a challenge (come on! Everyone come alive!).” The record will be released via Rough Trade on August 28. Pre-order it here.
Earlier this month, Pulp performed a huge headline set to close out Mad Cool 2026 – and broke out ‘Common People’ as England fans celebrated the win against Norway at the World Cup. Since then, they have also delivered a special orchestral gig to celebrate 50 years of Rough Trade at London’s Royal Festival Hall, where they performed a cover of ABBA’s ‘The Day Before You Came’.
Next month, they are scheduled to play their “only major UK headline concert” at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park on August 28, before topping the bill at End Of The Road 2026. Find tickets here.
Since releasing ‘More’ last year, Pulp have dropped new track ‘Begging For Change’ for the the star-studded ‘Help(2)’ charity album for War Child, and also digitally released an EP featuring two new songs: ‘Marrying For Love’ and ‘Cold Call On The Hotline’.
NME asked the frontman last year if they had plans to work on another album anytime soon, to which he replied: “Maybe. We tried to not have a concept for this record or think, ‘This is it, this is our last gas’. I used to think that a lot.
“I had this weird thing that when an album was mixed and finished where I’d think, ‘Oh, I can die now and it would be OK’. That’s a terrible way to think about your life, really. I didn’t feel that with this record.”
As well as the upcoming live album and concert film, Cocker is also gearing up to curate a new art exhibition at Hepworth Wakefield alongside his wife Kim Sion. Opening in May 2027, the show will bring together a personal selection of works that aim to challenge conventional ideas on what art can and should be, and will encourage attendees to nurture their own creativity.
