‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’ Documentary Set for 2025 Tribeca Festival Premiere

The 2025 Tribeca Festival will kick off with the world premiere of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part documentary on Billy Joel featuring unreleased performances, home movies, personal photographs and in-depth, one-on-one interviews. The film, an HBO original, is described as “an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting,” according to an official announcement from Tribeca.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes will have its premiere at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 4, 2025, the first night of this year’s Tribeca Festival.

Running from June 4-15 in NYC, the fest’s full lineup — featuring film, music, TV, audio storytelling, talks, games and immersive programming — is expected to be revealed soon.

“For nearly 25 years, the Tribeca Festival has celebrated the artists who give New York its heart and soul, and on the opening night of the 2025 Festival, we are thrilled to honor Billy Joel — an artist who has embodied that very spirit,” says Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Festival and Tribeca Enterprises. “Paying tribute to the legendary performer who captured the essence of a ‘New York State of Mind’ is a perfect way to kick off this year’s celebration of creativity and inspiration.”

Susan Lacy, director and producer of the documentary, says, “I and my co-director, Jessica Levin, couldn’t be more thrilled about our film Billy Joel: And So It Goes opening the esteemed Tribeca Festival. Our thanks go out to Jane Rosenthal and the Festival team and to HBO and the wonderful folks there who have supported us throughout in our efforts to bring an in-depth, honest and musically expressive portrait of this complex talent. We are beyond appreciative of Billy Joel’s trust in us to bring his story to the screen. There is no better place for this film to premiere than at the Beacon Theater, the venue for so many historic musical events for decades, and in the city so important to Billy Joel.”

Tribeca memberships and 2025 Tribeca Festival passes and ticket packages can be purchased at tribecafilm.com. Single tickets go on sale on April 29.

Ahead of the Tribeca announcement, the film and plans for its HBO release were first confirmed in late March. Following its festival premiere, Billy Joel: And So It Goes will debut on HBO and be available to stream on MAX some time this summer. A release date has yet to be announced.

Joel will also return to the stage this summer. Last month he postponed his tour in order to recover and undergo physical therapy following an undisclosed surgery, announcing that he will resume performing in July.