In 1985, Wham! did something that, at the time, seemed unimaginable. At the height of their fame, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley became the first Western pop act to perform in Communist China. What was originally conceived by their manager Simon Napier-Bell as an audacious publicity stunt to break the American market became something far more significant: a genuine moment of cultural history. Wham!
10 Days in China tells that story with warmth, humour and surprising emotional heft. Director Mike Christie has taken the original, long-forgotten footage shot during the trip and painstakingly restored it, weaving it together with new interviews featuring Andrew Ridgeley, members of the touring party and Chinese concertgoers whose lives were changed by those extraordinary ten days. The result feels less like a conventional music documentary and more like a fascinating time capsule. A peek behind the Bamboo Curtain.
One of the documentary’s greatest strengths is that it never attempts to deify its subjects. George and Andrew were still in their early twenties and, despite their global fame, often appear overwhelmed by the bizarre diplomatic obligations thrust upon them. Watching them pose stiffly with officials, tour the Great Wall or endure awkward press conferences provides moments of genuine comedy. Andrew’s recollections are particularly engaging, offering affectionate insight into both the absurdity of the trip and his enduring friendship with George.
George, meanwhile, emerges as the more introspective figure. Even this early in his career, there are glimpses of the artist he would soon become: thoughtful, ambitious and increasingly aware that he had outgrown the happy-go-lucky image of Wham!
The documentary captures the beginnings of an important transition in his life. The concert footage is outstanding. Beautifully restored, it reminds us just how accomplished Wham! had become as a live act during the Make It Big era. Hits such as ‘Freedom’, ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ and ‘Careless Whisper’ jump from the screen with infectious energy.
The first show, at the Workers Gymnasium in Beijing, showed an audience that wanted to react, to dance, but didn’t know how. Those that dared to dance were arrested and removed from the venue. It’s these moments, where Western exuberance collides with Chinese restraint, that become some of the film’s most memorable images.
At the second show at Guangzhou the Chinese had clearly had enough of restraint so really let themselves go. Yet the documentary’s biggest surprise is the contemporary interviews with Chinese people who were at the concerts who explain the impact they had and what it meant for them. Expanded horizons and future musical careers. Suddenly a nostalgic music documentary becomes something more. What began as a calculated publicity exercise became an unexpected act of cultural exchange whose influence is still felt some 40 years later.
Wham! 10 Days in China succeeds because it is about far more than nostalgia. It captures a fleeting moment when music briefly transcended politics, ideology and geography. It reminds us that two young men armed with little more than charisma, optimism and a catalogue of irresistible pop songs became unlikely cultural ambassadors.
For Wham! fans it is essential viewing. For everyone else, it is a compelling reminder that, sometimes, pop music really can change the world, even if only for ten unforgettable days.
Wham! 10 Days in China was a one night only cinema release but check your local listings just in case.
Reviewer: Adrian Cork
On: 28/07/2026
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