On 27 September 2026, George Michael took centre stage at the MTV VMAs in Los Angeles, as a line-up of artists performed a medley of his best-known songs almost ten years after his death at Christmas 2016.
The George Michael tribute at the VMAs
Sombr opened with Faith and Father Figure. RAYE followed with I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Teddy Swims sang Careless Whisper, and Adam Lambert closed with Freedom! '90, joined by UK singers MEEK and Saint Harison. MNEK also took part in the tribute.
Sombr's outfit carried extra meaning. According to a spokesperson, he wore one of Michael's own customised leather jackets from the Faith era — a black Harley-Davidson motorcycle jacket with chains and pins that Michael wore on his 1988–1989 Faith Tour. The tribute nodded to that period visually as well as musically.
The Faith Tour returns
The tribute coincides with new archival releases. On 6 November 2026, George Michael Entertainment and Sony Music release The Faith Tour, an 18-track live album of previously unreleased recordings captured in 1988 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. It will be available on vinyl, as a picture disc, on CD and as a deluxe box set with a book of unseen photographs.
The concert film George Michael: The Faith Tour, built from rediscovered, never-before-seen 35mm footage of the same Paris show, opens in North American cinemas on 11 December. The original tour spanned 109 concerts in 16 countries.
George Michael's music lives on
Faith, Freedom! '90, Careless Whisper and Father Figure remain among his best-loved songs. From global stars honouring him to professional tribute acts, his music keeps reaching new audiences. Want those hits live at your event? Discover the George Michael & Wham! tribute act at Tributeworld.