This summer, BBC Two and BBC Music present the world exclusive terrestrial TV broadcast of WHAM! 10 Days in China, a 90-minute documentary film from Sony Music Vision, in association with Sony Music Entertainment UK, and Supercollider (a Zinc Media Company).
In 1985, WHAM! were the first Western pop group to perform in communist China. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s two concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou introduced live Western pop to Chinese audiences and marked a turning point for the band. For WHAM!, the tour was more than music; it was a bold move to capture American attention and launch them into global superstardom – and it worked.
Drawing on meticulously restored, newly digitised and never-before-seen archive footage, alongside interviews with those who experienced the tour firsthand, the film revisits this historic moment through the eyes of the band, their team and Chinese audiences encountering Western pop culture for the first time.
This is the untold story of WHAM! at a singular moment in history – East meets West, pop meets politics, and two young stars coming of age on the world stage. The film offers a fresh perspective on China at a moment of transformation, told through the band’s journey and the voices of fans experiencing pop culture in a new way.
Andrew Ridgeley says: “This film finally reveals the unknown legacy of WHAM!’s groundbreaking venture, and lays bare, in all their human contradictions, the individual perspectives behind what was a bold and risky, high stakes gamble.”
Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Pop Music TV says: “Following the huge wave of affection from BBC viewers that greeted WHAM! Last Christmas Unwrapped, I’m thrilled that we are able to tell the story of another of WHAM!’s legacy milestones. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s momentous visit to China over forty years ago made global headlines, and now our viewers will be able to watch their spellbinding performances and see behind the scenes of their momentous visit for the first time on UK television.”
A night of WHAM! and George Michael programming on BBC Two will accompany this documentary, and it will also be celebrated on Radio 2’s Sounds of the 80s show (Saturdays, 6pm-8pm) which is presented by Gary Davies. BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to radio station, with 12.6m listeners each week (Q1 2026, RAJAR).
WHAM! 10 Days in China follows in the footsteps of WHAM! Last Christmas Unwrapped, which received its world exclusive broadcast on BBC Two in 2024. In celebration of Last Christmas’ 40th anniversary, the documentary special told the story of how WHAM! turned one song into a cultural phenomenon.
WHAM! 10 Days in China is produced by Supercollider (a Zinc Media Company) and directed by Mike Christie. It is executive produced by Krista Wegener, Ian Sharpe (for Sony Music Vision) and Tanya Shaw (for Supercollider). It was commissioned for the BBC by Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bbc.co.uk ’
