Rock Docs Take Center Stage at 2025 Tribeca Film Festival With Billy Joel, Metallica & More
The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival is shaping up to be a rock ‘n’ roll love letter to some of the most iconic names in music. From June 4 to June 15, the streets of Manhattan will pulse with power chords and pounding narratives as rock documentaries dominate this year’s festival slate.
Leading the charge is Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part documentary on the Piano Man himself. The film will officially kick off the festival, with Joel expected to perform live at the opening event — a moment guaranteed to be pure New York magic. For fans who can’t make it to the festival, HBO has secured the film’s TV rights and will air it later this summer.
Tribeca isn’t stopping there. Also featured in the lineup:
- Depeche Mode: M — a deep dive into the synth-rock pioneers.
- Billy Idol Should Be Dead — chronicling the rebel rocker’s harrowing, rebellious, and unlikely survival story.
- Metallica Saved My Life — an emotional exploration of the band’s impact on generations of fans. Members of Metallica will appear in post-screening conversations, and the film will tour select theaters across Metallica tour stops later this year.
- Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? — giving fans a raw look behind the dreadlocked alt-rock poets.
- Matter of Time — a reflective portrait of Eddie Vedder, who will perform live following the screening.
Both Billy Idol and Vedder are slated to take the stage after their films, offering fans a one-two punch of cinema and sound.
“This year’s festival is all about spotlighting storytellers and artists who’ve shaped culture,” said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca Co-Founder. “Tribeca has always been more than just a festival — it’s a home for creators, especially in these changing times.”
With tickets now available via the Tribeca Festival website, rock fans, film buffs, and crossover culture vultures are marking their calendars. Whether you’re catching Joel at the piano, Vedder on the mic, or Hetfield baring his soul on screen, one thing’s certain: Tribeca 2025 will rock.
