Tickets for the theatrical release of Wham! 10 Day in China are on sale today, coinciding with the debut of the film’s first full trailer. The documentary of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s visit to China in 1985 will screen worldwide on July 28, 2026.
A First Look: The Trailer
The new trailer shows restored, never-before-seen archival footage that wasn’t in Wham! in China: Foreign Skies, including more of the infamous George Michael massage scene. It includes interviews with Andrew Ridgeley and Chinese fans who experienced Wham! concerts in China.
Tickets Now Available
Tickets for the one-night-only event are on sale today. The official site is a good place to start for ticket information: www.wham10daysinchina.com.
After Theaters
Following the worldwide debut on July 28, 2026, Wham! 10 Days in China will air on BBC Two this summer. There is no word yet on other sources to see the documentary.
Celebrate George’s legacy with us. Follow Yours Only George on YouTube, Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest to be part of a community that keeps his spirit alive. Want the latest news, features, and special projects? Join our mailing list and stay connected to everything George.
The 90-minute documentary, directed by Mike Christie, brings newly-digitized, restored footage and new interviews in celebration of Wham!’s groundbreaking 1985 visit to the People’s Republic of China.
Also, BBC Two and BBC Music will present the world exclusive terrestrial TV broadcast of Wham! 10 Days in China this summer.
In April 1985, Wham! became the first Western pop act to perform in communist China, with performances in Beijing and Guangzhou. For Wham! it was a strategy to “make it big” in the U.S., with the help of Simon Napier-Bell, their then manager.
Filmmaker Lindsay Anderson was originally in charge of the Wham! in China documentary. His version, entitled If You Were There, was never released, but some of that material was used in the documentary, Wham! in China: Foreign Skies, which premiered at Wham!’s The Final farewell concert on June 28, 1986. It was then released on video.
Celebrate George’s legacy with us. Follow Yours Only George on YouTube, Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest to be part of a community that keeps his spirit alive. Want the latest news, features, and special projects? Join our mailing list and stay connected to everything George.
George Michael’s extraordinary songwriting legacy has been recognized with one of the highest honors in British music: induction into the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards. The Fellowship, reserved for the most influential and enduring contributors to the craft of songwriting, places George among a select group of creators whose work has shaped the cultural and emotional landscape of generations.
Andrew Ridgeley, who co‑founded Wham! with George and shared the earliest chapters of his musical journey, spoke with deep affection about what this honor would have meant to him while accepting the award. He described the Fellowship as an accolade George would have been “immensely proud” to receive, noting that George held the craft of songwriting in the highest regard.
It’s an honor and a privilege to bear witness to his work full stop, and to accept on his behalf. He would have been immensely proud to be recognized by the academy in this way, to be placed amongst some of the finest songwriters.
A great moment, and very, very touching indeed, and he would have been extremely moved.
The Ivors Academy highlighted what fans and fellow musicians have long known: George Michael was not only a global superstar, but one of Britain’s most gifted and influential songwriters.
He remains the only solo songwriter to have won the prestigious Ivor Novello Songwriter of the Year award three times — a testament to his mastery of melody, lyricism, and emotional truth.
George often spoke about how deeply he valued recognition from fellow songwriters. When he won his very first Ivor Novello Award, he described the moment with striking honesty:
It was the first proper sign from within the industry that what I was doing was actually worthwhile. And that was the reason that I got so emotional.
George Michael
That early validation stayed with him throughout his life. It shaped his understanding of his craft, his confidence as a writer, and his belief that songs could be both personal and universal.
To see him now inducted into the Fellowship — the highest honor The Ivors Academy can bestow — feels like the natural culmination of that journey.
The Ivors Academy described the Fellowship as a celebration of George’s excellence and impact in the art and craft of music creation, as well as his enduring influence worldwide. It is a recognition not only of his chart success, but of the depth and integrity of his songwriting — qualities that continue to inspire new generations of artists.
A Fitting Tribute to a Timeless Artist
George Michael’s induction into the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy is more than an award. It is a statement about legacy — about the power of songs that continue to comfort, challenge, uplift, and connect people long after their creator is gone.
It is also a reminder of the man behind the music: brilliant, generous, complex, and endlessly creative.
George Michael’s voice, his words, and his spirit continue to echo. And now, with this Fellowship, his place among the greatest songwriters of all time is formally, and forever, affirmed.
Celebrate George’s legacy with us. Follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest to be part of a community that keeps his spirit alive. Want the latest news, features, and special projects? Join our mailing list and stay connected to everything George.
George Michael’s Faith “Rockers Revenge” leather jacket
The 2026 auction season delivered one of the most significant surges in George Michael memorabilia interest in recent years. Items spanning the Faith era, Wham!’s early touring years, and George’s later 25 Live period drew passionate bidding, record‑setting prices, and a renewed appreciation for the artistry, style, and cultural impact George carried through every phase of his career.
Below is a full breakdown of the confirmed hammer prices — a snapshot of a market that continues to grow, deepen, and reveal just how cherished George Michael remains.
The Crown Jewel: The Photo‑Matched “Faith” La Rocka Leather Jacket
Sold for £176,400 (21 bids)
Few garments in pop history are as instantly recognizable as George Michael’s black La Rocka leather jacket — the one he wore in the Faith music video and throughout the 1988 tour. This wasn’t just a jacket; it was the visual signature of an era.
The 2026 sale of the photo‑matched, screen‑verified jacket became the headline of the auction, soaring to £176,400 after 21 competitive bids. Its value reflects not only its rarity but its cultural weight: this is the jacket that helped define George’s transformation into a global solo icon.
For collectors, this piece represents the conceptual DNA of the Faith aesthetic: bold, rebellious, and unmistakably George.
George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley–Signed Club Fantastic Tour Programme
Sold for £1,260
Wham!’s early touring years remain deeply nostalgic for fans, and signed items from this period are increasingly scarce.
The autographed Club Fantastic tour programme, signed by both George and Andrew, achieved £1,260, underscoring the enduring affection for the duo’s early energy and camaraderie.
Chris Cuffaro’s photography has become synonymous with the Faith era’s visual legacy.
This limited edition 1988 print, part of the Rockarchive collection, sold for £819, reflecting the growing collector demand for authenticated, artist‑approved photographic works from George’s most iconic period.
Selling for £6,930, it stands as one of the strongest results for post‑2000 stage‑worn George Michael fashion — a testament to the tour’s emotional resonance and George’s enduring style.
Rockarchive Artist’s Proofs: Faith Music Video & Tour Prints (Chris Cuffaro)
Artist’s proofs are especially prized for their rarity and direct connection to the photographer’s creative process.
“Careless Whisper” First Cut Vinyl + Negatives & Photographic Prints
Sold for £2,835
One of the most historically significant lots, this set included:
a six‑minute first cut vinyl of “Careless Whisper,”
nine strips of original negatives, and
four photographic prints.
Selling for £2,835, the lot offered a rare glimpse into George’s early solo artistry and the visual documentation surrounding one of the most enduring ballads of the 1980s.
A Market That Reflects a Legacy
The 2026 auction results reveal a clear trend: George Michael’s cultural impact is not only enduring — it is deepening.
From the record‑setting sale of the Faith jacket to the strong performance of photographic and tour‑worn items, collectors are increasingly valuing pieces that:
tell a story,
connect directly to George’s creative evolution, and
capture the emotional resonance of his music and image.
For longtime fans and new collectors alike, these sales reaffirm what the world has always known: George Michael’s artistry continues to inspire, captivate, and live on — not just in music, but in the objects and images that shaped his legacy.
Celebrate George’s legacy with us. Follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Pinterest to be part of a community that keeps his spirit alive. Want the latest news, features, and special projects? Join our mailing list and stay connected to everything George.
Photographer Brian Aris will be publishing a compilation of George Michael photos in his book, Celebrating George, with photos ranging from the Wham! days with Andrew Ridgeley to George’s solo days.
This stunning collection of photographs features iconic George Michael images throughout his career—including many never before published.
The man born as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou hated being photographed, and that makes this volume such an unusual and beautiful tribute to one of the music world’s most beloved stars. First meeting when he shot Wham!, Brian Aris gained George’s trust and subsequently enjoyed unprecedented access to document the complex and sensitive character behind one of pop’s most talented and consummate artists.
Dreaming of stardom from an early age, George achieved popularity first with Wham! and later reached heights of even greater success after re-creating himself as a serious solo artist with songs and music videos that remain iconic to this day. Tragically, he died on Christmas Day 2016 at just fifty-three.
With text documenting George’s life and Brian’s memories of his sessions and meetings with the star, together with iconic shots, contact sheets, and previously unseen images, this is an amazing, heartfelt tribute to one of the world’s most likable and talented performers who is one of the all-time immortal greats of pop music.
Brian Aris describes his time photographing George Michael:
“From the early days, when he first burst on the scene in 1981 as one half of Wham!, the pop duo he formed with Andrew Ridgeley, to the later years when he went on to enjoy even greater worldwide success as a sophisticated and glamorous solo artist, George was always fascinating to work with.”
