![Spike Lee on the purple carpet at AMC Kips Bay for the Prince: Sign o’ the Times IMAX screening in New York City. [Photo Credit: Calvin Stark/Erin Hoagg]](https://i0.wp.com/celebratesocializeexplore.life/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/unnamed-21.jpg?fit=350%2C233&ssl=1)
Tuesday night, August 19th, New York City pulsed with purple energy as IMAX®, Mercury Studios, FilmRise, and Paisley Park Enterprises rolled out the velvet treatment for an exclusive advance screening of Prince: Sign o’ the Times at the AMC Kips Bay 15 IMAX theatre. The remastered 1987 concert film, enhanced with IMAX’s precision visuals and bone-shaking surround sound, gave New Yorkers a chance to step back into Prince’s world just days before its global one-week-only release beginning August 29.
And this wasn’t just a screening — it was a celebration.
The Purple Carpet
The night kicked off with a vibrant purple carpet photo call against an IMAX-branded Prince step-and-repeat, lush with flowers and dripping with star power. Notable New Yorkers — from director Spike Lee and actor Taye Diggs to journalist Don Lemon, cabaret queen Luann de Lesseps, and nightlife icon Dianne Brill — turned out to honor the Purple One. They joined an eclectic mix of artists, designers, and cultural figures, all reflecting on Prince’s genius before heading into the theatre.
Inside, Prince’s presence was undeniable. Posters, IMAX visuals, and a buzzing lobby set the stage before the lights dimmed and the magic of Sign o’ the Times unfolded.
[Photo Credit: Calvin Stark/Erin Hoagg]
Back to 1987, Reinvented for 2025
Originally premiering in Detroit on October 29, 1987, and rolling out nationwide that November in over 200 theatres, Sign o’ the Times was already a revelation in its time — a film that blurred the line between concert and cinema. Watching it now, in IMAX, was something else entirely.
From the opening pulse of “Sign o’ the Times” into the radiant groove of “Play in the Sunshine”, the remastered sound wrapped the room in Prince’s brilliance. The seamless shift between “Little Red Corvette” and “Housequake” drew gasps and cheers, while the slow burn of “Slow Love” gave everyone a moment to catch their breath.
When Prince tore into “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” and “Hot Thing”, the room vibrated with that playful, sensual energy only he could command. Even the band’s interlude on Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time”, paired with Sheila E.’s fiery drum solo, reminded us of the virtuosity orbiting around him.
And of course, “U Got the Look”, “If I Was Your Girlfriend”, and the haunting power of “The Cross” brought the audience to that transcendent space where Prince lived — between funk, faith, and forever. By the time the screen erupted with “Forever in My Life/It” flowing into “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night”, the theatre was a revival.
[Photo credit Richard Senrosius]
The Afterparty at Jean’s
But the night didn’t end there. The celebration shifted downtown to Jean’s, transformed into a Prince-inspired wonderland. Think purple cocktails glowing under moody lights, projection displays beaming iconic Prince imagery across the walls, and a vintage Prince-branded limousine parked outside for that perfect photo moment.
Inside, the energy soared. DJs AKU (Florence & The Machine), The Muses, Rex DeTiger, and Venus X spun Prince classics and funk-soaked grooves, while a surprise live tribute performance had the room moving like it was 1987 all over again.
The crowd was as eclectic as the man they were celebrating: Interpol’s Daniel Kessler, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, bassist Blu DeTiger, designer Timo Weiland, stylist Phillip Bloch, and nightlife legends Legendary Damon and Omar Hernandez kept the vibe as high-fashion as it was high-energy. Influential industry names like Tommy Silverman, founder of Tommy Boy Records, mingled with artists, models, and musicians — all bound by Prince’s gravitational pull.
[Photo Credit: Calvin Stark/Erin Hoagg]
A Legacy That Still Shakes the Room
Prince’s artistry has always been more than music. It’s culture, it’s community, it’s a call to individuality. Nights like this — a film reborn through IMAX, a room of tastemakers vibing to his tracks decades later — remind us why his influence remains unmatched.
As The Cross echoed in IMAX, and as purple cocktails clinked downtown, it was clear: Prince isn’t gone. He’s still here, reshaping the room, commanding the spotlight, and reminding us — as he did back in ’87 — that it’s gonna be a beautiful night.
New York showed up and showed out for Prince, and he gave it right back — in IMAX scale, in sound that shook your soul, and in a party that could’ve been straight out of his playbook. If you’ve ever doubted the enduring power of Sign o’ the Times, last night was proof: this era-defining masterpiece still has the power to stop time, light up a city, and make us all believers again. Don’t miss your chance to experience the purple magic on 8/29
A complete list of theatres and ticketing information is available at www.imax.com/prince