Wish You Were Here 50, released on 12 December 2025, is most compelling when its format matches what you want to hear. The 2CD and 3LP add studio rarities to the original album; the Blu-ray brings the new Dolby Atmos mix, other versions, films and a newly official release of Pink Floyd’s 1975 Los Angeles concert. The Deluxe Box Set adds physical memorabilia. For studio-focused listeners, the smaller editions make the clearest case; for archival live audio and surround sound, the Blu-ray is the centerpiece.
What is included in Wish You Were Here 50?
The anniversary edition keeps the five-track 1975 album at its center: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (Parts 1–5), “Welcome to the Machine,” “Have a Cigar,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (Parts 6–9). Pink Floyd’s official release announcement lists 25 bonus tracks across the expanded release: nine studio rarities and 16 live recordings.
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The studio material includes six previously unavailable demos and alternate versions, alongside a new continuous stereo mix of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1–9).” The live recordings come from the Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on 26 April 1975. The official announcement credits the concert recording to taper Mike Millard and says Steven Wilson restored and remastered it; this is its first official release.
The studio additions
- “Wine Glasses”
- An alternate “Have a Cigar”
- “Wish You Were Here” featuring Stéphane Grappelli
- An early instrumental rough mix of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
- Two versions of Roger Waters’ “The Machine Song” demo
- “Wish You Were Here (Take 1)”
- The “Pedal Steel Instrumental Mix”
- A new continuous stereo mix of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1–9)”
How do the editions differ?
The main distinction is not the original album, which anchors the formats, but how much archival material and what kinds of playback each edition provides.
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| Edition | What it adds | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| 2CD | Original album and nine studio bonus tracks; no 16-track Los Angeles live set or Blu-ray mixes. | Listeners who want the expanded studio material on disc. |
| 3LP | Original album and nine studio bonus tracks. | Vinyl listeners chiefly interested in the studio additions. |
| Blu-ray | Original album in 2025 Dolby Atmos, 2011 5.1, 1975 stereo and 1975 4.0 quad mixes; bonus audio; all 16 Los Angeles live tracks; three concert screen films; and Storm Thorgerson’s 2000 short film. | Listeners with compatible playback equipment who want surround mixes, the live concert and video. |
| Deluxe Box Set | 2CD, 3LP on exclusive clear vinyl and Blu-ray material, plus a fourth clear vinyl LP of Live at Wembley 1974, replica Japanese 7-inch single, hardcover book with unseen photographs, comic-book tour programme and Knebworth poster. | Collectors who want the broadest physical package and memorabilia. |
The new 2025 Dolby Atmos mix is by James Guthrie. The Blu-ray is the only format in this lineup that combines the four album mixes with the Los Angeles live audio and films. If you cannot play Blu-ray, those features do not make the 2CD or 3LP a substitute for the disc; choose the edition for the material it actually contains.
How do the new studio tracks hold up?
In his review for Louder, Joe Banks makes the previously unavailable demos and alternate versions a central reason to revisit the album. The early instrumental rough mix of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is especially revealing: it lets the listener hear the arrangement and performance before the finished version’s carefully shaped atmosphere takes over.
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- THE WALL
The two “The Machine Song” demos and the pedal-steel instrumental of “Wish You Were Here” offer different views of songs that have become familiar through the finished album. The continuous stereo mix of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is another worthwhile addition for listeners who prefer to hear the long, multi-part work without the album’s split between opening and closing sections.
These are archival listening pleasures rather than a replacement for the original record. The finished album’s power lies partly in how it turns the inertia and dislocation of its recording sessions into music of unusual poise. Banks also hears the record’s criticism of commercial machinery as still resonant; that is an interpretation of its effect, not a definitive statement of the band’s intent.
Is the 1975 Los Angeles concert the Blu-ray’s main draw?
For listeners interested in live history, yes. The Blu-ray’s 16-track concert recording is the edition’s most substantial addition beyond the studio album and rarities. Banks calls the Blu-ray’s material “the real treat,” referring to the Dolby Atmos mix and the archival Los Angeles concert. He praises the remaster’s sound, while noting that the opening songs feel a little tired and the performance gathers force later. It is a valuable document of the band onstage in 1975, though its energy is not uniform across the long set.
The three concert screen films add a visual dimension, while Storm Thorgerson’s 2000 short film is a separate piece of bonus video. The official announcement does not identify the concert films by title in the release details, so the Blu-ray’s video offering is best understood by those confirmed contents rather than assumed to be a complete concert film.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which edition should you buy?
Choose the 2CD or 3LP for studio-focused listening
Both include all nine studio bonus tracks, including the demos, alternate versions and continuous stereo mix. The choice between them is chiefly about format: CDs or vinyl. Neither includes the 16-track Los Angeles concert, the Blu-ray’s surround mixes or its films.
Choose the Blu-ray for surround sound and the concert
This is the strongest option if your priority is hearing the 2025 Dolby Atmos mix, comparing the album’s other mixes, or exploring the newly official live recording and films. Its value depends on having Blu-ray playback and audio equipment suited to the mix you want to hear.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteChoose the Deluxe Box Set for physical extras
The box includes the core CD, vinyl and Blu-ray contents, plus Live at Wembley 1974 on a fourth clear LP and several collectibles. It is the most extensive physical edition, but the extras chiefly serve collectors; they do not replace the Blu-ray’s playback requirements.
Consider digital if you do not need the physical formats
The official announcement lists a digital version, but it does not establish availability on a particular streaming service or in every region. Check your local service catalog for current access and which material it carries.
How does the anniversary edition fit the album’s reputation?
Wish You Were Here remains an unusually coherent album to expand: its five tracks build a unified mood around distance, absence and the pressures of the music business. The new studio material is most rewarding when it illuminates that construction rather than competing with it. The concert and alternate mixes broaden the historical picture, but the original album remains the reason to return.
Pink Floyd’s announcement reports five-star reviews from The Times, Uncut, MOJO and Record Collector, and quotes The Times calling the album the essence of Pink Floyd. Those are reception claims presented by the artist’s own release notice, rather than an independent tally of critics. The anniversary booklet also includes a response by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, whose October 2025 poem reflects on absence and longing.
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No prices or current stock are established here, and availability can vary by retailer and region. The practical choice is therefore based on content: studio extras for the 2CD or 3LP, audio and video depth for Blu-ray, or the full physical collection for the Deluxe Box Set.
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