Björk's "ambitious" concert film Cornucopia will hit cinemas this summer

Björk's concert film Cornucopia will hit cinemas for a limited global release, screening in more than 25 countries and premiering in the UK on May 7.

Filmed during the Icelandic musician's performance at the Altice Arena, Lisbon in 2018 — the show was part of her immersive Cornucopia tour, that spanned four years and over 45 dates.

Read this next: Björk slams Spotify: “It’s the worst thing that has happened to musicians”

In an Instagram post from January, Björk shared that she had released an hour-long excerpt of the film, which premiered as a livestream via Apple Music and Apple TV+ earlier this year.

She added: "I spent last decade working with 360-degree sound and visual software in virtual reality and animation, creating 'Biophilia' and later 'Vulnicura' as a VR album. I was deeply inspired by the idea of a fully immersive experience spreading Utopia and Fossora into fully surround speakers. My intention was to bring what we had created for 21st-century VR into a 19th-century theatre - taking it from the headset to the stage."

The artist went on to describe how she realised her extraordinary vision for the show, including a selection of bespoke musical instruments including a circular flute and a magnetic harp — the performance also utilised 27 moving curtains that "captured projections on different textures and LED screens".

The ambitious tour, which featured songs from her albums 'Utopia' and 'Fossora', was in part inspired by the climate crisis — kicking off in 2019 with its finale landing in December 2023; the tour earned the seminal artist a Best Live Performer award by The Association of Independent Music (AIM).

Read this next: Björk announces new 480-page book documenting “ambitious” live tour

Björk also released a characteristically extravagant book, Cornucopia: The Book, documenting the tour late last year — boasting over 300 images across 480 pages.

Commenting on the book, Björk said: “Throughout this tale, there is a subplot woven in: a second story of an avatar - a modern marionette who alchemically mutates, from puppet to puppet, from the injury of a heart wound to a fully healed state, I hope you enjoy it."

Henrietta Taylor is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter