Business / news
Documentary Revisits WHAM!'s Historic 1985 China Tour
A new documentary, 'WHAM! 10 Days In China', hits global cinemas on July 28, revisiting the British pop duo's landmark 1985 performances in Beijing and Guangzhou—the first by a Western pop group in the country.
The film, drawing on never-before-seen archive footage and interviews, captures a pivotal moment when pop met politics in China. Nearly 40 years after WHAM! became the first Western pop act to perform in the country, the documentary reexamines that East-meets-West collision.
Band members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley touched down in China in 1985, a bold gamble that expanded their global reach. The new documentary chronicles those 10 days, offering a fresh look at the cultural significance of the tour.
While WHAM! may seem like a retro throwback for Gen Z audiences, the documentary's release now underscores China's enduring and growing importance in the global cultural zeitgeist. Today, Western digital creators such as streamer iShowSpeed and comedian Jimmy O Yang continue to bridge the cultural gap, traveling to China as a dynamic frontier for global audiences.