David Bowie fans are preparing extensive celebrations in London to mark what would have been the late music icon's 80th birthday, with a series of events taking place across the city.
Bowie, widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of all time, would have turned 80 on Thursday, January 8. The British singer and songwriter died aged 69 on January 10, 2016, after an 18-month battle with cancer.
A global programme of celebrations called Bowie80 is set to mark the milestone, with special events, releases, collaborations and fan experiences taking place throughout 2026 and 2027.
London's role in the celebrations
London is already playing a major role in the celebrations, with an immersive Bowie experience at King's Cross and a special event featuring people who knew the star personally.
One of the most exciting new Bowie attractions in London will be the musician's childhood home in Bromley. The terraced house, where Bowie lived from the age of eight until he was 20, is being restored by the Heritage of London Trust and is expected to open to the public in late 2027.
The two-up, two-down railway workers' cottage will be restored to its early 1960s appearance, with the interior layout recreated using a previously unseen archive. The project will focus particularly on Bowie's tiny 9ft by 10ft bedroom, where he spent much of his teenage years developing his creativity and musical interests.
A £500,000 grant from the Jones Day Foundation has already been secured towards the restoration, with fundraising also taking place. The house is close to the Edwardian bandstand where Bowie performed in 1969, which was restored by Bromley Council and the Heritage of London Trust in 2024.
Immersive show at King's Cross
The biggest Bowie experience currently running in London is David Bowie: You're Not Alone at Lightroom in King's Cross. The 360-degree immersive show uses archive footage, rare interviews, photography, drawings, lyrics and personal notes to take audiences through Bowie's career, with the star himself serving as the sole voice of the experience.
It features footage spanning his career, including performances from Space Oddity through to Star, as well as his legendary 1973 performance of Rock 'N' Roll Suicide at Hammersmith Odeon. The show has now been extended at Lightroom until January 10, 2027, meaning fans can visit around what would have been Bowie's 80th birthday. Tickets start from £25 for adults.
There is also a special Bowie event at Lightroom on Thursday, October 8. Bowie Nights: David Bowie Music Lover will see Bowie's lifelong friend and collaborator Geoff MacCormack joined by author Jérôme Soligny and Bowie's longtime publicist Alan Edwards. The trio will discuss the artists, songs and albums Bowie listened to throughout his life, sharing personal stories and insights into the musician.
The event will be followed by a screening of David Bowie: You're Not Alone, with tickets from £27.50. Lightroom has also hosted Bowie Lates, with the immersive show running later into the evening alongside themed cocktails, DJs and Bowie-inspired outfits.
Wider Bowie80 programme
The London events form part of a much wider programme being launched to mark Bowie's 80th birthday. Organisers have promised further announcements throughout 2026 and 2027, including audiovisual experiences and fan-focused events around the world.
A partnership with US department store Nordstrom will see limited-edition fashion collections inspired by Bowie's enduring influence, featuring designers and brands including Undercover, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and AllSaints. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will also host a Bowie80 celebration, while a major photography exhibition, Strange Fascination, will open in New York and West Hollywood in February. A live symphonic concert, Bowie (breaking) Glass, will also premiere in Copenhagen next spring.
Fans outside London will also have the chance to see previously unseen material from the David Bowie Archive. The V&A's new touring exhibition, David Bowie: On Tour, will bring around 100 objects from the archive to venues around the UK, beginning at V&A Dundee in November. The exhibition will include costumes from Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era, an acoustic guitar, handwritten lyrics, performance notes and previously unseen material. The tour will subsequently travel to Blackpool, County Durham, Hull and Bristol.
Bowie had five UK number one singles and 11 number one albums during his lifetime, with hits including Space Oddity, Ashes To Ashes and Sound And Vision. His final album, Blackstar, was released on his 69th birthday on January 8, 2016, just two days before his death. It became his first album to reach number one in the US, topped the charts in more than 20 countries and won five Grammy Awards.
