The song was made available via digital download and is featured on the soundtrack of the film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which was directed by Tim Burton.

Welch, a longtime fan of Burton's work, had expressed interest in collaborating with him long before the recording of "Wish That You Were Here", as they shared similar artistic themes.

On 2 July 2016, Florence and the Machine performed at the annual British Summer Time in Hyde Park, London, marking an end to the group's successful tour in support of their third studio album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.

[1] Nonetheless, the group remained relatively active, contributing three songs, "Too Much Is Never Enough", "I Will Be", and a cover version of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me", to the Final Fantasy XV video game soundtrack.

[7] In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Jon Blistein praised Welch for "singing wistfully over a distant keyboard and string plucks", also noting the "bombastic chorus that's as determined as it is heartbreaking".