Pink Floyd continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their classic album THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by releasing a brand new 30-minute movie documenting the recent Australian solar eclipse. Entitled “Eclipse,” the YouTube-exclusive release follows a number of lucky Pink Floyd fans who flew to Western Australia to listen to The Dark Side Of The Moon while witnessing the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon of an extraordinary and rare total solar eclipse. The documentary will be released exclusively on the band’s YouTube channel (here) as part of ‘Floyd Fridays’ on October 13 at 5pm BST.
On Thursday, April 20, 2023, the moon’s shadow grazed the tip of Western Australia as it traveled over one of the world’s most beautiful areas – the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park in Exmouth. Under the supervision of the group’s long-time creative consultant and Hipgnosis co-founder, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, Pink Floyd gave eight Australian fans (dubbed The Astronome Domine Eight) the exclusive opportunity to visit the region’s special scenic location to hear THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON in its entirety. The album’s soaring, epic final track “Eclipse” (with the closing lines “But the sun is eclipsed by the moon…”) was timed to coincide with the exact moment of the total eclipse.
The documentary, created by Powell and his team, director Benny Trickett and producer Fiz Oliver, follows the Astronomer Domine Eight as they listen via headphones next to a specially built pyramid on a deserted beach. It traces their journey from applying for the trip to their emotional feelings afterwards. The documentary also features interviews with local people and thousands of others who made the historic journey to Exmouth to share in the experience.
This momentous year will also see another major solar eclipse across the Americas on October 14th, and Pink Floyd is running a campaign on the band’s socials. Fans are encouraged to play The Dark Side Of The Moon during the eclipse and upload videos and photos of their experiences using #pfeclipse. The best ones will be reposted on Pink Floyd’s socials.
