Pink Floyd details 'Dark Side of the Moon' 50th Anniversary box set

New planetarium album experience announced

Warner Music Europe and Sony Music Entertainment have announced the upcoming release of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon as a deluxe box set to celebrate 50 years since the release of one of the best-selling albums of all time. Newly remastered, the box set will be released on March 24th in a variety of formats.

One of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon continues to find new audiences globally. The album was partly developed during live performances, and the band premiered an early version of the suite at London’s Rainbow Theatre several months before recording began. The project is the eighth studio album by Pink Floyd, originally released in the US on March 1st and then in the UK on March 16, 1973. The new material was recorded in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The iconic sleeve, which depicts a prism spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie. The Dark Side Of The Moon has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.

The new deluxe box set includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix plus CD and LP of The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974.

Simultaneously, on March 24th, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974 will be released independently. It was originally recorded in November 1974 as part of the band’s winter tour and this is the first time it will be available as a stand-alone album, with artwork featuring an original 1973 line-drawn cover by George Hardie.

As previously announced, the book Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also be published separately by Thames & Hudson on March 24th to coincide with the box set release. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and art directed by Hipgnosis co-founder Aubrey Powell, this LP-sized volume showcases rare and previously unseen photographs taken during The Dark Side Of The Moon Tours of 1972-1975 and was created with the involvement of the band members.

The 50th anniversary release will also be celebrated as Pink Floyd invite a new generation of animators to enter a competition to create music videos for any of the 10 songs on the iconic 1973 album. Pink Floyd has a rich history of collaborating with animators from the beginnings of the band (Ian Emes, Gerald Scarfe, etc.), and in some cases the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself. The 50th Anniversary will be no exception. The band would like to give all animators an opportunity to present a fresh take on these timeless aural works. Animators can enter up to 10 videos, one per song on the album. A winner will be selected from a panel of experts which will include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell (Pink Floyd’s creative director) and the BFI (British Film Institute). The deadline for submissions is November 30th via the band’s website.

On February 27th 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. Although, the Planetarium dome could only show an array of stars, constellations and images of the cosmos whilst the music played, it was an unprecedented success. Fifty years on, in recognition of the iconic album and with the help of huge strides in technology, an official full dome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond and played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, will be released in Planetariums around the world in March. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details.

The show itself will be divided between the 10 tracks off the album, in chronological order, each having a different theme. Some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. It promises to be immersive; an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience.