Pink Floyd have confirmed a special 50th anniversary edition of their timeless 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The reissue arrives on December 12th via Sony Music and will be available in multiple formats: 3LP, 2CD, Blu-ray, digital, and a deluxe box set.
This landmark release isn’t just a remaster—it comes with 25 bonus tracks, including nine studio rarities and 16 live recordings from their legendary April 26, 1975 Los Angeles Sports Arena concert. Originally taped by renowned bootlegger Mike Millard, these live performances will now see an official release for the first time.
To mark the announcement, Pink Floyd have shared an early demo of “Welcome to the Machine,” originally titled “The Machine Song.” The anniversary edition will also include unheard gems such as “The Machine Song (Roger’s Demo),” an instrumental mix of “Wish You Were Here” featuring David Gilmour on pedal steel guitar, and a complete performance of *“Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1–9).”
The album’s iconic artwork also remains a key part of the story. Designer Aubrey “Po” Powell of Hipgnosis reflected on its legacy:
“One has to remember that Pink Floyd were the only band on EMI and Capitol Records, besides the Beatles, who had the rights to the creative. That’s why we were allowed to do what we wanted. It was brilliant. Just the same way that Pink Floyd were very inventive at the time, so were Hipgnosis. We were determined to keep that abstract, enigmatic image alive.”
Meanwhile, guitarist David Gilmour has hinted at the band’s future in the digital age. Speaking at the London premiere of Live at the Circus Maximus, he teased the possibility of a Pink Floyd hologram show at Las Vegas’ Sphere venue:
“The Sphere? Well, you know, I’m hoping, one of these days, to go there and sit and watch myself doing it, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. My avatar, you know? So I don’t actually have to get up and do it.”
With rare demos, long-lost live cuts, and fresh reflections from the people who shaped it, the 50th anniversary of Wish You Were Here promises to be more than a reissue—it’s a celebration of Pink Floyd’s enduring genius.
