Hasbro and Reigning Phoenix Music are turning San Diego Comic-Con week into a full-scale Autobot funeral rave with The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Celebration of Life Concert. Set for Thursday, July 23 at House of Blues San Diego, the event is part of Hasbro’s cheeky “Apology Tour,” a year-long campaign built around the fact that fans are still not entirely over what The Transformers: The Movie did to them in 1986. Between a live soundtrack tribute, Stan Bush performing “The Touch,” and a lineup that pulls from multiple corners of Hasbro fandom, this is shaping up to be one of the most gloriously specific events of the summer.
The Soundtrack Gets the Big-Stage Treatment
The heart of the event is The Transformers: The Movie: The Soundtrack: The Reformatted Edition, which will be performed live by Knights of Unicron. That alone is enough to make this concert matter, because the original soundtrack is not just tied to the film, it is part of why the movie still hits the way it does. Add in a live performance of “The Touch” by Stan Bush, and suddenly this stops feeling like a novelty event and starts feeling like a real celebration of one of the most beloved animated soundtracks in nerd culture.
Hasbro is also stacking the night with Vince DiCola, whose score helped define the movie’s sound, Britta Phillips, the original singing voice of Jem, and Cold Slither, who return after last year’s Comic-Con debut. That lineup gives the whole event a bigger reach than just Transformers. It turns the night into a broader love letter to Hasbro’s loudest and most iconic music history.
The “Apology Tour” Keeps Getting Better
Photo credit: Shimon Karmel, @shimonphoto
The concert is only one piece of the larger 40th anniversary push, but it may be the coolest one yet. Hasbro is leaning all the way into the joke that fans still have emotional scars from The Transformers: The Movie, and honestly, that self-awareness makes the whole campaign work even better. It feels like the company understands exactly why this film still matters.
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The music side of the rollout keeps going the next day with the full release of The Transformers: The Movie: The Soundtrack: The Reformatted Edition on July 24. Fans can already listen to “The Transformers Theme – Reformatted Edition,” performed by Knights of Unicron and featuring Brittney Slayes, which gives the whole project a heavy, energized new spin without losing the original anthem’s punch.
The Hasbro 40th Anniversary Push Is Going Full Force
Hasbro is not stopping with the concert and soundtrack either. The company also confirmed new anniversary product reveals, including a Matrix of Leadership premium electronic replica and fresh Studio Series additions featuring Shockwave, Skywarp, Wheeljack, Kranix, Sunstreaker, Astrotrain, and Snarl. On top of that, The Transformers: The Movie returns to theaters in 4K beginning September 17 through September 21 in partnership with Fathom Entertainment.
The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Celebration of Life Concert takes place Thursday, July 23, 2026 at House of Blues San Diego. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are available now, including general admission and VIP packages. The full soundtrack arrives July 24, while the film returns to theaters in 4K beginning September 17.
Are you going to this concert if you are in San Diego for Comic-Con? Is “The Touch” still the single most powerful song in Transformers history? Which part of the 40th anniversary rollout has you most hyped, the concert, the soundtrack, or the 4K theatrical return? Share your thoughts in the comments or @me.
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