Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker March 18, 2026

Recorded from October 4th through the 7th of 1971 in Pompeii's Roman Amphitheater, 'Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII' returns to physical medial with this new 4K UHD release courtesy of Legacy Recordings. This title once again offers viewers two different viewing experiences: one being the feature film, which includes the full track list intercut with candid moments, interviews, and studio footage; and the other being the concert, which removes all of the other elements and simply focuses on the music. The band's line-up consists of David Gilmour (guitar, vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass, vocals, percussion), and Richard Wright (keys, vocals). The programming content here is identical to that of the Blu-ray release from May of 2025. This release sees its 1080p presentation as the product of a Remastering from the original 35mm elements and includes two new (2025) audio mixes by Steven Wilson. A 10-page booklet is also included, but a Blu-ray disc is not.

For a discussion of the feature film and concert included here, please follow this link.

The track listing for the two cuts is as follows:

Feature Film

• Pompeii Intro

• Echoes - Part 1

• Careful With That Axe Eugene

• A Saucerful of Secrets

• Us and Them

• One of These Days

• Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

• Brain Damage

• Mademoiselle Nibs

• Echoes - Part 2

Concert

• Pompeii Intro

• Echoes - Part 1

• Careful With That Axe Eugene

• A Saucerful of Secrets

• Us and Them

• One of These Days

• Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

• Echoes - Part 2

Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There is one primary area of improvement with the new 2160p presentation of Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII, and that is a noticeable overall uptick in fine detail. It's easy to spot in close-ups and longer shots alike. The ruins themselves provide a better textural presence, with age and wear more precisely described and visible. This is also visible in environmental details such as the bubbling mud, the rocky ground, and leafy foliage and grasses that are slowly invading and reclaiming the man-made spaces. More play wear is visible on the bodies of guitars, on drum heads, and on the organ's cabinet as well. While it may or may not be seen as an improvement, the color palette here is slightly cooler than what I observed on the previous Blu-ray. To my eye, the slightly more natural palette generates more realistic skin tones in scenes indoors and out, and impacts the stonework, and landscape shots of the site as well. It's a more pleasing presentation in my opinion, but the difference is subtle. While fans who have already purchased the disc on Blu-ray when it was originally released may be understandably hesitant to rebuy the title so quickly without the addition of any more content or a change to the audio options for the two viewing options, the uptick in fine detail is going to be the greatest deciding factor. For purposes of comparison, I attempted to capture similar screenshots to what was depicted in my previous review of the Blu-ray presentation. While the bulk of the are pretty close, there are just a few images from the 4K disc for which I do not have a Blu-ray counterpart.

Screenshots #1-20 are sourced from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and are in SDR.

Screenshots #21-39 are sourced from the previously released Blu-ray.

Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once again, Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII provides viewers with a slightly different audio line-up depending on which viewing experience they select. Selecting the "Feature Film" affords viewers the choice between a very solid 2.0 Stereo mix which provides an enjoyably vintage viewing experience, a more modern Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, and a wonderfully crafted Dolby Atmos track. Revisiting the disc and these tracks almost a year later, while there are elements to recommend each of the audio tracks included, after five more viewings my preference is for the Dolby Atmos track due to its clarity, nuance, and immersion. But, individual tastes and preferences will vary. When selecting the "Concert" option, once again only the 2.0 Stereo mix and the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 options are available. This choice struck me as odd on the Blu-ray release, and it was something that I had hoped would be corrected when I saw the 4K UHD release announcement. Unfortunately, the is situation remains unchanged, with concert viewers again only offered those two options.

Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Once again, sole element of supplemental material included with this release is a 10-page booklet that begins with relatively standard liner notes and credit information. Again, no specific information about the work performed to generate this release's audio or video presentation is found inside. The bulk of the booklet is comprised of photographs. There's a black-and-white centerfold depicting the filming set-up, several photos of murals found at the location, a number of candid shots of the band performing, as well as a two-page publicity shot of the four gentlemen sitting atop a wall. This release does not have any on-disc extras.

Pink Floyd: At Pompeii - MCMLXXII 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII captures the influential band in one of their more interesting periods between the departure of Syd Barrett and before the more well-known (at least to more modern rock fans) and commercially successful releases of "Wish You Were Here", "The Dark Side of the Moon", and "The Wall". Each member of the band is given their moment in the spotlight among the various songs performed here, with, in my opinion, Gilmour's expressive guitarwork and Mason's impressive drumming being particularly captivating. "Echoes" has been an enduring favorite of mine, the the treatment it's given here is urgent and powerful. Also from "Meddle", "One of These Days" is another highlight. The images in and around Pompeii that are intermixed with the performance are fascinating. While almost otherworldly, they enhance rather than overshadow the experience. The 4K UHD presentation provides a noticeable uptick in fine detail and a slightly more natural looking color palette, with the higher level of detail especially providing an improved viewing experience over the previously issued Blu-ray. Accompanied by an excellent Dolby Atmos track for the feature film, and two excellent audio options for the concert (though I enjoy the 5.1 quite a bit), Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII 4K comes very highly recommended for those who have yet to pick up a copy of the title. Those who already have the previously issued Blu-ray face a tougher choice.