OMG Culture Magazine

New York doesn’t just host a screening — it throws a whole purple coronation. On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the city glowed in royal hues as IMAX®, Mercury Studios, FilmRise, and Paisley Park Enterprises staged an unforgettable advance showing of Prince: Sign o’ the Times at AMC Kips Bay 15. This wasn’t simply cinema. It was communion.

The 1987 concert film — fully remastered and remixed with IMAX precision — dropped the audience straight back into Prince’s electric orbit. And with the film’s global IMAX release kicking off August 29 for one week only http://www.imax.com/prince, New Yorkers got the ultimate first taste.

Purple Carpet Royalty

The night opened with a dazzling purple carpet that felt more like a cultural summit than a photo op. Spike Lee, Taye Diggs, Don Lemon, Luann de Lesseps, and nightlife legend Dianne Brill all came through, joined by designers, tastemakers, and creatives who owed some part of their vision to Prince.

Inside, the buzz was thick. Posters, projections, and a sea of sequins set the stage before the first bassline even hit.

1987, Reimagined

When the lights dropped, IMAX made the time machine real. The title track surged, and suddenly we were back in Prince’s world — only bigger, louder, sharper.

From the jubilant sprint of “Play in the Sunshine” to the ecstatic funk of “Housequake,” the film reminded us that Prince didn’t just play songs; he rearranged molecules in the room. Sheila E.’s volcanic drum solo on “Now’s the Time” shook the theatre, while “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” and “Hot Thing” flirted and burned with that eternal Prince chemistry.

By the time “If I Was Your Girlfriend” bent the air and “The Cross” carved its spell, the crowd wasn’t just watching — they were living it. The finale, “Forever in My Life/It” sliding into “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night,” hit like a resurrection.

Afterparty at Jean’s: A Purple Playground

No New York premiere is complete without the afterparty. Downtown at Jean’s, the vibe shifted from cinematic to surreal. Purple cocktails glowed against moody lights, projection art washed the walls with Prince iconography, and yes — a vintage Prince limo parked outside for the diehards.

Inside, DJs AKU, The Muses, Rex DeTiger, and Venus X kept the floor spinning with Prince cuts and funk anthems. Live performers turned the room into an homage worthy of Paisley Park itself.

The guest list was pure eclectic fire: Daniel Kessler of Interpol, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, Blu DeTiger, Timo Weiland, Phillip Bloch, Legendary Damon, Omar Hernandez, and Tommy Silverman of Tommy Boy Records fame. Artists, models, fashion kids, and old-school heads danced shoulder-to-shoulder — proof of Prince’s reach across every creative lane.

Still the Blueprint

Prince has always been more than music. He’s been blueprint, compass, and cultural disruptor. Tuesday night reminded us: his art doesn’t age; it amplifies.

As “The Cross” echoed in IMAX and glasses clinked under violet lights downtown, the message was undeniable. Prince isn’t a memory. He’s still shaping nights, bending sound, and demanding that we live louder, freer, and unapologetically in color.

New York didn’t just celebrate Prince — it surrendered to him all over again. IMAX gave us the spectacle, the afterparty gave us the spirit, and Prince gave us proof that nearly 40 years later, Sign o’ the Times still outruns time itself.

Michelle M Mitchell

Michelle M. Mitchell is the Publisher of OMG Culture Magazine, a global multicultural online news publication. With a passion for storytelling and a keen editorial vision, she leads the magazine’s coverage of culture, society, and luxury lifestyle. As a contributor, Michelle brings her expertise in high-profile events, entertainment, and community features, offering readers a distinctive and engaging perspective.