Summer Tour, the documentary film produced by Chloe Sevigny about two young Deadheads following Dead & Company on their final tour, is headed to theaters.
After premiering at Telluride Film Festival last year, the documentary has been acquired for distribution by Utopia and will screen at select theaters this summer. Instead of a standard theatrical release, the film—much like its subjects—will travel the country on a multi-city tour that will also feature performances by “Dead-inspired artists.”
“We are so happy that Summer Tour has found a home with Utopia,” said photographer/filmmaker and longtime Deadhead Mischa Richter, who directed the film. “We can’t think of a better fit for our film due to Utopia’s experience with and love for music documentaries.”
[Update 5/11/26]: Per an official description of the documentary shared along with its first official trailer, Summer Tour follows “a young couple, Jerry and Annie, [who] set out on the road to follow Dead & Company on their final tour, immersing themselves in the vibrant, nomadic community that has long surrounded the music of the Grateful Dead. From dusty parking lots to packed stadiums, they make their way busking and selling handmade clothes on ‘the lot.’”
“The film is a portrait of the band through the fans,” the synopsis continues, “capturing a unique perspective of the scene and community. Jerry and Annie move from city to city, carried by the rhythms of the road and the spirit of the crowd, rediscovering American and all the beauty it holds. As they journey across the country, a tapestry of fan call-ins—stories, memories, and reflections—builds a collective portrait of the Grateful Dead experience. Blending past and present, the film captures the enduring spirit of a community defined by freedom, resilience, and the open road.”
Below, watch the three-minute official trailer for Summer Tour and check out its David Welker-designed poster. Summer Tour hits theaters nationwide beginning on July 23rd, 2026.
Check out a list of early screenings of the film featuring special performance by Mason’s Children below. Scroll down for more information on the project and stay tuned for further announcements about the film’s screening schedule.
Summer Tour (2026) – Official Trailer
[Originally published 8/30/25]: A new documentary, Summer Tour, captures the enduring spirit of the Grateful Dead and the magic of the Deadhead community through the journey of two young fans following Dead & Company on the band’s final tour in 2023.
Directed by photographer/filmmaker and longtime Deadhead Mischa Richter, Summer Tour was produced by actress/director Chloe Sevigny—who recently honored the Grateful Dead at the Kennedy Center Honors—alongside Richter, Evelina Kirgan, and Lizzie Nastro Adler of King Bee Productions, with cinematography by Hayden Mason. The film is set to makes its world premiere tonight at the Telluride Film Festival.
While details about the film remain limited, the festival’s program guide offers this description:
Few American demographics are more easily caricatured than Deadheads, those swirling, dosing, hippy-dressed vagabonds. But in his infinitely sweet and wise documentary, director Mischa Richter offers us the Deadheads as complex, self-aware and resourceful members of a wandering commune, one that’s admirable for its kindness and care. Our central subjects, Jerry and Annie, set off in their van to follow Dead and Co.—the most recent successor to the original band—on its final tour. They make just enough money busking (Jerry, of course, is a gifted guitarist) to get by. With editing by Jay Rabinowitz, SUMMER TOUR flows along like a Dead song, riffing and jamming and offering tiny sparks of delight along the way. As it progresses, the film presents a certain irresistible logic to the Deadhead way of life. At a moment when the modern world is spinning into uncertain social, political, environmental and technological terrain, perhaps we should all get on the bus.
“I’m thrilled to have produced this alongside @mischarichter @lizzienastro @satelliterepairs and others,” Chloe Sevigny shared in an Instagram post ahead of the film’s premiere. “Mischa and I started going to Dead shows around 1990 and we fell for the scene as much as the music. This love letter is not to be missed.”
Below, scroll through images from Summer Tour shared by Hayden Mason and stay tuned for further updates on the film.