The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is set to launch a major touring exhibition of its extensive David Bowie archive, bringing 100 items related to the iconic star to venues across the UK.
Titled “David Bowie: On Tour,” the exhibition promises to unveil a significant number of artefacts never before seen by the public, commencing its journey at the V&A Dundee from November 2026 to February 2027.
Among the highlights will be original costumes from Bowie’s seminal Ziggy Stardust era, crafted by designers Freddie Burretti and Kansai Yamamoto. The display will also feature sketches from the accompanying tour and an acoustic guitar used by the artist during that transformative period.
Sir Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, emphasised the significance of the initiative, stating: “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.”
The exhibition, structured into four distinct sections, will delve deeper into Bowie’s personal and creative life. Visitors can expect to see his keys from his Berlin apartment, where he recorded the influential albums Low and Heroes in 1977, alongside concept art for the Low album cover.
Other notable items include the Natasha Korniloff-designed costume from the 1980 “Ashes To Ashes” music video, a clapperboard from the 1975 film The Man Who Fell To Earth, and his very first instrument, a Grafton Alto saxophone, purchased by his father in 1961.
Following its Scottish debut, “David Bowie: On Tour” 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 the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (June to September 2028). Further locations are anticipated to be announced in due course.
This extensive tour follows the opening of the dedicated David Bowie Centre at the V&A Storehouse last September, which serves as a permanent home for the archive and its artefacts.
Widely celebrated as one of music’s most innovative artists, Bowie secured five UK number one singles and 11 UK number one albums throughout his career, with iconic tracks such as “Space Oddity,” “Ashes To Ashes,” and “Sound And Vision.”
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Renowned for his radical shifts in musical style and persona, he evolved from a 1960s pop singer to a glam rock icon with albums like The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973). His artistic journey embraced soul with Young Americans (1975) and Station To Station (1976), making him one of the first white artists on the US TV show Soul Train, before exploring krautrock influences on Low (1977), Heroes (1977), and Lodger (1979).
Bowie also experimented with dance and jazz, collaborating with diverse artists including Queen, Mick Jagger, and Trent Reznor. His final album, Blackstar, was released on his 69th birthday, just two days before his death in 2016.