The long anticipated Joy Division live box set, Eternal, has been announced, set for release 25 September ahead of their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on 14 November.
The collection was first hinted at in an interview Peter Hook did at the tail end of 2025 and fans have been speculating what this may include on forums over recent months. The set has been years in the making, bringing together audio from 16 live performances recorded between 1 March 1979 and 2 May 1980 across 14 CDs. They have been meticulously sourced from audience recorded cassettes, soundboard tapes and broadcast recordings and all mastered at Abbey Road Studios. The collection includes two previously unreleased shows, 1 March 1979 from the Hope & Anchor and 17 May 1979 from Acklam Hall, both audience recordings by Jonathan Crabb), and three previously unheard sound desk recordings taken from gigs at The Factory, Manchester; The Lyceum, London and Moonlight Club, London. It also features the band’s final live performance, at High Hall Birmingham in 1980 which was originally released on the posthumous release Still, where the band played Ceremony for the first and only time. It’s not confirmed if this will be a ‘full’ version of the track or the same as previously released which fades in.
Whilst long term fans may have the majority of the live audio material, the real selling point for many is the inclusion of two DVD’s with a combined running time of 2hrs 30mins of performance footage, much of which has never been seen along with a 2026 re-edit of Joy Division – A Malcolm Whitehead Film. It’s been long rumoured that the bands live show at Plan K on 16 October 1979 was captured in its entirety, and we now know that it was. Additionally, both nights at Manchester Apollo, where the band were supporting Buzzcocks on 27 and 28 October 1979 are also included. These are something of a holy grail, giving a whole generation their first opportunity to see Joy Division in concert.
As you would expect from those maintaining the Joy Division/New Order legacy, the collection will be housed in a lavish 12″ x 12″ lift-off lid box, featuring artwork by Warren Jackson, Peter Saville, Howard Wakefield and Brett Wickens and comes complete with liner notes from Simon Armitage and photography by Anton Corbijn, Kevin Cummins and more.
Priced at £100, it feels great value for money too…
The audio elements of the box set will also be available for streaming and digital purchase, with first taste of the box set, Transmission recorded at Les Bains Douches, Paris now available.
All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him via his LinkTree
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