On This Day, Dec. 11, 1968: The Rolling Stones began filming 'Rock and Roll Circus'

By Jill Lances

December 11, 2025 at 9:30 am CST

On This Day, Dec. 11, 1968 ...

The Rolling Stones began shooting the concert film Rock and Roll Circus.

The film, which was shot over two days, captured The Stones performing on a stage set that looked like a circus, alongside The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal and Marianne Faithfull.

It also featured a one-time-only performance by The Dirty Mac, a group made up of John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and more.

The film was originally supposed to air on the BBC, but The Stones were unhappy with their performance and decided to hold back the broadcast. It took 28 years for them to change their mind and release it.

Rock and Roll Circus premiered as part of the New York Film Festival in October 1996, and a soundtrack followed two days later. A remastered edition of the film in Dolby Atmos received a limited theatrical release in March 2019.