There’s something magical about concert films – they let us dive straight into the energy, emotion, sound, and chaos of a live show without leaving the couch (or paying $400 for nosebleed seats). The best of them capture artists at their most electrifying, whether that’s a giant stadium moment or a tiny, intimate performance where you can practically feel the reverberations from the speakers. They make you forget you’re watching through screen and put you in the room where it all happened.

But beyond the music, they give us the behind-the-scenes bits we never get at an actual show – the nerves, the storytelling, the artistry that stitches it all together. They’re the perfect mix of spectacle and emotion, a way to experience your favourite musicians up raw, real and close-up. If you're looking for one to sink into your couch with this weekend, these are seven of the best concert films we think you should watch next.

1. Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles (2021)

Billie Eilish's dreamy, animated world-building meets live performance in her concert doco: Happier Than Ever: A love Letter to Los Angeles. It’s also a sweet, cinematic love note to Los Angeles, giving the whole film a personal, nostalgic glow.

2. Stop Making Sense (1985)

Widely considered the penultimate concert film, Stop Making Sense is the one your cool music friends have probably already raving to you about – it’s weird, joyful, and endlessly rewatchable. David Byrne starts off solo with a boombox and somehow builds the entire performance piece by piece until the stage feels alive.

3. Homecoming (2019)

In terms of modern concert films, almost nothing touches Beyoncé documenting this cultural moment she meticulously created. Every detail hits – the costumes, the band, the choreography – all snapping together with insane precision. It’s so electrifying that you might genuinely stand up in your living room convinced you can dance (you can’t, but Beyoncé makes you believe anyway).

4. A One Man Show (1982)

Grace Jones’ A One Man Show is performance art disguised as a concert, with Jones commanding the camera. It’s bold, transgressive, and wildly ahead of its time, blending fashion, theatre, and pure pop power. Even decades later, the whole thing still feels futuristic, which is just peak Grace Jones energy.

5. Don’t Think (2012)

Don’t Think feels like the Chemical Brothers turned an entire rave into a movie in the best way possible. It’s packed with pounding beats, lasers, and wild visuals that make you feel like your eyeballs are dancing. If you want the rush of a festival without the mud or bathroom horrors, this is the perfect escape.

6. Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

Who could forget the cultural reset this film caused when it was released? Perry was brutally raw with audiences as she filmed for her Part of Me tour, while also going through a divorce from then-husband Russell Brandt. The scene where Perry receives that fateful text mere moments before having to go on stage is horrifying and saw fans rally to her defence. Of course, it's also still a bright, glittery, candy-coloured roller coaster that gives you all the pop spectacle you expect.

7. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023)

Vale Ryuichi Sakamoto. This film is a portrait of an artist constantly pushing boundaries, a borrowed intimacy lent from the fact that it was directed by his son, Neo Sora. There's a palpable sense of loss here – Sakamoto himself knowing this would be his final concert film before his death. In it, we sit in a quiet room with Sakamoto while he plays directly to us. The minimal, intimate style makes the music land even harder, like time is slowing down just to let you listen.