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| Based on | Cornucopia |
| Music by | Björk |
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Release date | 2025 |
Cornucopia is an upcoming 2025 documentary concert film by Björk. Based on the eponymous concert tour (2019—2023), the film chronicles the development and execution of the show, which debuted as a residency in The Shed in 2019 before traveling the world and concluding in 2023. Conceived around songs from her ninth studio album Utopia (2017), the setlist also includes songs from Vulnicura (2015) and Fossora (2022).
The movie, filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, captures Björk’s performance that blends music, environmental activism, and cutting-edge visual artistry. Co-directed by Björk, the film delivers a unique, multisensory experience that merges technology and nature, with themes addressing the climate crisis. With footage from her world tour and a powerful message inspired by figures like Greta Thunberg, Cornucopia showcases Björk’s vision of a future where creativity and environmental consciousness intertwine.
Background
edit"It is an emergency, in order to survive as a species we need to define our utopia. The Paris climate accord is a modern utopia impossible to imagine, but overcoming our environmental challenges is the only way we can survive. We have to imagine something that doesn't exist, carve intentionally into the future and demand space for hope, weave a matriarchal dome. Let's imagine a world where nature and technology collaborate and make a song about it, a musical mockup, then move into it. Let's write music for our destination, in mythologies around the world after a disaster one captures the spirit with a flute and starts anew, carved out of the first fauna, we arrive on a new island with mutant species unknown hybrids of birds and plants, our past is on loop, turn it off, let's be intentional about the light, imagine a future be in it.”
—Björk about the themes of Cornucopia.
Following the release of Vulnicura in 2015, an album that delved deeply into themes of heartbreak and emotional healing, Björk shifted her creative focus to Utopia in 2017. Where Vulnicura dealt with raw personal wounds, Utopia embraced a brighter, more optimistic tone, representing a fresh start. This shift was evident not only in the music’s lighter, ethereal sound but also in its themes of love, nature, and the possibility of building a better world. (describe relation between hell and paradise) To promote Utopia, Björk embarked on a limited concert tour in 2018, known as the Utopia tour. The shows featured a highly curated set design, bringing her vision of a harmonious world where nature and technology coexist to the stage. Despite its short run, the tour was noted for its intricate visuals, elaborate costumes, and unique musical arrangements. (production into cornucopia)
In 2019, Björk announced Cornucopia, a more ambitious and expanded version of the Utopia tour. Described as her most elaborate staged concert yet, Cornucopia integrated stunning digital visuals, live musicians, and themes of environmental advocacy. It marked a significant step forward in Björk’s live performances, building on the themes from Utopia but with a greater emphasis on the planet’s fragile state and the role of matriarchy in imagining a future where humans and nature thrive in unison. (the shed residency, mexico leg) However, the COVID-19 pandemic halted Cornucopia's momentum, resulting in a prolonged hiatus. During this time, Björk embarked on a new project, the Björk Orkestral tour, a more intimate, career-spanning series of performances streamed live. The shows featured acoustic arrangements of her music, allowing fans to experience her catalog in a more stripped-back and introspective manner.
In 2022, Björk returned with a new album, Fossora, signaling another shift in her artistic journey. While Utopia focused on airy, light themes, Fossora was rooted in more grounded, earthy sounds, influenced by her personal life and the pandemic's impact. This album brought a heavier, more bass-focused sound, exploring themes of family, loss, and belonging, while still maintaining Björk’s characteristic love for experimentation. Finally, in 2023, Björk resumed the last leg of her Cornucopia tour, expanding on the initial concepts while incorporating elements from Fossora. This final tour run was marked by a return to live performance, with the same elaborate visuals and environmental message, but with a deepened sense of reflection and urgency stemming from the intervening years. As the world grappled with ongoing environmental crises, Björk’s Cornucopia felt even more poignant and necessary. (cornucopia was always intended to include fossora songs, iceland was planned to be filmed, but it got cancelled, filmed in lisbon portugal)
In a November 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Björk confirmed that Cornucopia would be adapted into a film for release in 2024. She explained that this would allow her to reach wider audiences and solidify the environmental and creative message that had shaped the project from its inception.
Release
editThe Cornucopia movie was officially announced during Climate Week 2024 in New York, a fitting backdrop given the film’s strong environmental themes. As Björk’s most ambitious visual project to date, the announcement highlighted the movie’s focus on the intersection of nature, technology, and climate activism. This event reinforced the film’s relevance in the broader discourse surrounding environmental action, tying in with Björk’s long-standing advocacy. The film's release serves as both a continuation of her Cornucopia tour and a powerful artistic statement on the climate crisis.