James - Getting Away With It

The theatrical premiere of documentary James: Getting Away With It – featuring a live performance and Q&A from the band.

Following a world festival premiere at SXSW London, James: Getting Away With It gets its theatrical release back home in Manchester – complete with a Q&A and live acoustic performance from one of Britain’s most beloved bands.

Formed in early 80s Manchester, James endured a decade of false starts, bad decisions and bewildering missteps. They foolishly rejected Factory Records, hired their drummer on the advice of a psychic, and even undertook medical experiments to pay the bills, before their iconic hit Sit Down propelled them to national fame in 1991.

More chart-topping hits followed, along with infighting, tax bills and the infamously hedonistic Lollapalooza tour. The band fractiously collapsed at the millennium, before reuniting in 2007 to find their biggest audiences yet, critical acclaim and, finally, a number one album.

Directed by Chris Atkins, James: Getting Away With It features candid interviews with band members past and present, contributions from Chris Martin, Brian Eno and Jo Whiley, unseen archive footage and hilarious backstage scenes in the present day.

The film is a soulful and wry account of creativity, friendship and the mistakes that shaped one of the UK music’s most improbable success stories.

The film, band performance and Q&A will be broadcast live to approximately 250 cinemas across the UK, Ireland and select international markets. The list of cinemas and dates will be released on 6 July 2026.