. ▁ ▁Led ▁Ze ppel in ▁was ▁considered ▁for ▁inclusion ▁but ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁dropped . ▁The ▁show ▁was ▁not ▁released ▁commer cially ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁Con cept ▁and ▁performance ▁ ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁originally ▁conce ived ▁by ▁M ick ▁J agger ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁new ▁record ▁Beg g ars ▁Ban quet ▁beside ▁conventional ▁press ▁and ▁concert ▁appearances . ▁J agger ▁approached ▁Michael ▁L inds ay - H og g , ▁who ▁had ▁directed ▁two ▁prom os ▁for ▁Rol ling ▁St ones ▁songs ▁( and ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁direct ▁the ▁Beat les ' ▁Let ▁It ▁Be ▁document ary ), ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁full - length ▁TV ▁show ▁for ▁them . ▁According ▁to ▁L inds ay - H og g , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁combining ▁rock ▁music ▁and ▁a ▁circ us ▁setting ▁came ▁to ▁him ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁come ▁up ▁with ▁ideas ; ▁he ▁drew ▁a ▁circle ▁on ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁paper ▁and ▁free - associ ated . ▁ ▁The ▁Rol ling ▁St ones ▁and ▁their ▁guests ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁rep lica ▁of ▁a ▁se edy ▁big ▁top ▁on ▁a ▁British ▁sound ▁stage — the ▁Inter tel ▁( V . T . R . ▁Services ) ▁Studio , ▁Wy com be ▁Road , ▁W emble y — in ▁front ▁of ▁an ▁invited ▁audience . ▁The ▁performances ▁began ▁at ▁around ▁ 2   pm ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁but ▁setting ▁up ▁between ▁acts ▁and ▁re loading ▁cam