The Victoria and Albert Museum's David Bowie archive is set to embark on a nationwide tour of the United Kingdom, showcasing 100 items related to the iconic musician. Titled David Bowie: On Tour, the exhibition will feature numerous artefacts that have never been publicly displayed before.
Tour Details and Venues
The tour will commence at the V&A Dundee, running from November 2026 to February 2027. Following its debut in Scotland, the exhibition will travel to Showtown in Blackpool (June to September 2027), the Bowes Museum in County Durham (October 2027 to January 2028), the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull (February to May 2028), and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (June to September 2028). Additional venues are expected to be announced in due course.
Key Exhibits
Among the highlights are costumes from Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period, designed by Freddie Burretti and Kansai Yamamoto, alongside sketches for the accompanying tour and an acoustic guitar used during that era. Other items include Bowie's keys from his Berlin apartment, where he recorded the albums Low and Heroes (both 1977), and concept art for the cover of Low. The exhibition will also feature the Natasha Korniloff-designed costume worn in the video for the 1980 single Ashes to Ashes, a clapperboard from the 1975 film The Man Who Fell to Earth, and Bowie's first instrument, a Grafton Alto saxophone bought for him by his father in 1961.
Director's Statement
Sir Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said: “David Bowie: On Tour is a landmark national partnership for the V&A, bringing highlights from David Bowie’s extraordinary archive to audiences across the UK for the first time. Working with our colleagues in museums and venues nationwide, we’re opening up Bowie’s story in the places connected to his life and legacy, ensuring people across the country can experience these remarkable objects where they live, and be inspired by his enduring creativity.”
Exhibition Structure
The exhibition will be split into four sections, offering a comprehensive look at Bowie's career and creative process. It follows the opening of the David Bowie Centre at the V&A Storehouse in September last year, which houses the archive and features a permanent display of artefacts.
Bowie's Legacy
Widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, Bowie achieved five UK number one singles and 11 UK number one albums during his lifetime. He is best known for songs such as Space Oddity, Ashes to Ashes, and Sound and Vision. Bowie was renowned for his drastic changes in sound and appearance, beginning as a pop singer in the 1960s before rising to fame in the 1970s with glam rock albums like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973). He later embraced soul on Young Americans (1975) and Station to Station (1976), krautrock influences on his Berlin Trilogy (Low, Heroes, Lodger), and ventured into dance and jazz. He collaborated with artists including Queen, Mick Jagger, and Trent Reznor. Bowie released his final album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday, just two days before his death in 2016.
