How to watch the documentary When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain
It commemorates the 50th anniversary of his first UK concert
Last updated 9th Jun 2025
It's been a massive 50 years since Bruce Springsteen first performed in the UK, and to commemorate this milestone, the BBC have released a new documentary film about The Boss.
The film features an exclusive interview with the legendary singer, as he remembers his first UK gig at the age of 26, when he took to the stage in the Hammersmith Odeon (now the Eventim Apollo). The documentary called When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain, includes stories from Bruce that he has never told before, opening up about how he suffered from PTSD after his first UK performance.
The singer was left so disappointed with his show that he wouldn't watch it back for another 30 years, in the film saying: "(After the show)...I went to a party that was supposed to celebrate my triumph, but I felt I’d been terrible and so I was embarrassed to even go in... I went in for a few minutes, couldn’t stand myself being there, went out, ran back to the hotel, sat in my lonely room under a big black cloud, ate whatever I had and went to bed....I had PTSD from the first Hammersmith show!"
Luckily, just a week later, the singer had a much more successful show in the same venue, however he wouldn't return to the country to tour for another six years. In 1981, Bruce returned for 'The River Tour', where he played at venues including Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Stafford and six nights at London’s Wembley Arena.
As well as the exclusive interview with Bruce Springsteen, the documentary features interviews with E Street Band member Stevie Van Zandt, friends and fellow songwriters Sting and Peter Gabriel, along with Sir Michael Palin, who wrote about Bruce's first Hammersmith gig.
This documentary follows a Disney+ documentary about Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band which was released last year. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band takes a look at how Bruce prepares for his legendary performances and live shows.
Watch Bruce's chat with Simon Mayo:
Earlier this year, Bruce announced a new boxset of 'lost albums', spanning from 1983 to 2018 called 'Tracks II', and the biopic film Deliver Me From Nowhere starring Adolescence actor Stephen Graham has now finished filming, with attendees at CinemaCon getting a sneak peak.
How to watch the documentary
The documentary was added to iPlayer in May and is available to watch until May 2026.
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The documentary film features an exclusive interview with Bruce Springsteen, as he remembers his first UK gig at the age of 26, when he took to the stage in the Hammersmith Odeon (now the Eventim Apollo). The documentary includes stories from Bruce that he has never told before, opening up about how he suffered from PTSD after his first UK performance.
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Now read:
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