The Rolling Stones’ legendary concert film At The Max is set to return to IMAX theatres worldwide from December 10, giving fans the chance to experience one of the most ambitious live rock films of its era on the big screen once again. Originally released in 1991, At The Max was a milestone in concert filmmaking, capturing the Stones’ Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour of 1990 in stunning IMAX format and becoming the first feature-length concert film ever shot for the giant-screen medium.
Filmed across the European leg of the tour, At The Max starred the classic Rolling Stones line-up of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman, who was still with the band at the time before his departure in 1993. The film delivers 15 electrifying performances of Stones classics including Start Me Up, Brown Sugar, Paint It Black, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, all presented with the kind of visual clarity and sound power that only IMAX can offer.
The original Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour was a turning point for the band, marking their grand return to the road after a seven-year hiatus from touring. The shows were in support of their 19th studio album Steel Wheels, released in 1989, which revived the Stones’ partnership and reasserted their dominance in a changing rock landscape. The tour covered more than 100 shows across North America, Japan, and Europe, playing to millions and re-establishing the group as the world’s premier live act.
At The Max stands as a cinematic monument to that period, preserving a Rolling Stones show that was as visually extravagant as it was musically sharp. The stage design was massive and theatrical, featuring inflatables, pyrotechnics, and the kind of oversized spectacle that would go on to influence stadium tours for decades. The film’s set design famously included inflatable “floozies” during Honky Tonk Women and wild dogs running across the stage during Street Fighting Man, giving a touch of surrealism to the Stones’ gritty rock attitude.
Musically, At The Max showcased a band in top form. Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood trade riffs with effortless chemistry, Charlie Watts anchors the chaos with his impeccable swing, and Bill Wyman adds his distinctive groove, lending depth to songs that span the Stones’ classic 60s and 70s catalogue. Mick Jagger, ever the consummate frontman, prowls across the vast stage, climbing, strutting, and embodying the rebellious charisma that made the Stones the definitive rock ‘n’ roll band. His fevered take on Sympathy For The Devil is a highlight, capturing the dangerous allure that has followed the song since its debut in 1968.
For its 2024 re-release, At The Max has been fully restored in high definition, bringing renewed life to the film’s original IMAX presentation. The restoration offers the same spectacular visuals and thunderous sound that made it a landmark when it first hit theatres more than three decades ago.
The original At The Max soundtrack featured a career-spanning setlist that balanced new material with vintage hits:
Continental Drift
Start Me Up
Sad Sad Sad
Tumbling Dice
Ruby Tuesday
Rock and a Hard Place
Honky Tonk Woman
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Happy
Paint It Black
2,000 Light Years from Home
Sympathy for the Devil
Street Fighting Man
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll
Brown Sugar
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
At The Max was an ambitious leap for the Stones in the early 90s, one that fused live performance with cutting-edge technology and proved that their music could transcend even the biggest stages. Over thirty years later, its return to IMAX serves as both a time capsule and a reminder of why the Rolling Stones have remained untouchable in the world of rock.
Tickets for the IMAX screenings go on sale October 23 through imax.com.
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