Brian May to Host Queen II Reissue Launch Event With Instagram Live Stream

Queen guitarist Brian May will host a March 26 gathering in London. He's launching the remastered edition of the band's 1974 album, Queen II. The 78-year-old musician posted the news on social media.

The gathering will stream live through Brian May's Instagram account. The rock star said the venue is "very intimate" but will "connect all around the world" through his channel.

"I wish it were big place so we could invite you all … but this is very intimate," wrote Brian May on Instagram, "except it will hopefully connect all around the world through my live and lovely Instagram channel."

Queen II Collector's Edition arrives on March 27. It's a five-CD and two-LP box set, with the package including the 2026 mix of the record. It also includes bonus materials like outtakes, demos, live tracks, and radio sessions.

Another of the set's special features is what is described as "intimate fly-on-the-wall audio" of the band in the recording studio. A 112-page book comes with the collection, packed with photos, handwritten lyrics, and other material.

The guitarist recorded the original album with bandmates Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. This remaster follows the October 2024 reworking of the band's 1973 debut album.

That collector's box set included a remixed and remastered version with 63 tracks. It consisted of the restored original recording, demos, and rare live performances.

Brian May has been sharing clips from Abbey Road Studios on social media as he worked on the project. On Feb. 10, he posted on Instagram about rebuilding and remixing the record in Dolby Atmos.

"I've wanted to do this for the last 53 years," said Brian May to Express. "The performances are all exactly as we played them all those years ago — in one of our most explosively creative periods."

The reissue will also be released as a two-CD deluxe edition and on one-LP vinyl. No exact location for the London gathering has been revealed.