Pulp’s welcome comeback continues with the news of a feature-length film, narrated by Jarvis Cocker himself, hitting screens later in the year.
Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore?, which takes its name from the line in the title track of their 1998 record, This Is Hardcore, will be directed by Garth Jennings, following the band’s early career to becoming one of the defining acts of the last 30 years.
It’s said to be filmed in the spirit of Stop Making Sense and The Last Waltz, which captured a live look at Talking Heads and The Band, respectively. What Do You Do For An Encore? will, in this case, have an accompanying live album, with narration over a 20-track selection from across their career.
It blends together filmed shots from their O2 Arena shows on their most recent headline tour, with footage and archival material from the last 40 years.
Speaking about the news on their Instagram page, Pulp wrote: “A concert is an event where songs come back to life. That’s why this album is called Live!”
“Pulp are releasing a new record on 28 August 2026. Recorded at the band’s concerts at The O2 London last year, Live! mixes songs from the most recent album More with a host of fan favourites. Two live singles are out now on streaming: the classic Disco 2000 and A Sunset, the show’s closer and final track from Pulp’s 2025 LP.
“Live! is Pulp’s first soundtrack album, issued to accompany Garth Jennings’ film “Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore?”, which offers a cinematic experience of the concerts.”
It’s not the first time Pulp have worked with Garth Jennings, with the director at the helm of their music videos A Little Soul and Help The Aged – both also from their This Is Hardcore album.
Prior to the release of Live! and Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore, Pulp are also set to play a special one-off London show at the Royal Festival Hall to celebrate 50 years of Rough Trade. Aside from this, the band’s only other UK shows this year are pencilled in for Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on August 28 and a headline slot at Dorset’s End Of The Road festival at the start of September.
What Do You Do For An Encore? is due to drop in the Autumn of this year via MUBI. You can listen to the live versions of ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘A Sunset’ now. ‘Live!’ is set for release on August 28, 2026.
