David Bowie exhibition to open at V&A Dundee
The career-spanning exhibition will feature more than 100 pieces from the David Bowie archive, including costumes, instruments, photography and handwritten material
More than a decade after his death, V&A Dundee will be hosting their latest blockbuster exhibition David Bowie On Tour, which will present highlights from the Starman’s archives to the public for the first time.
Exhibiting from Wednesday 4 November–Monday 15 February, the show will feature more than 100 items, including costumes, instruments, photography and handwritten material, promising to share an insight into the feted songwriter’s creative process.
The exhibition will chart four aspects of Bowie’s life, beginning with ‘Bowie Through A Lens’, which will explore how photography helped shape his visual identity. Next, ‘All The Somebody People’ will focus on him onstage and in the studio across four defining eras, from Ziggy to Blackstar. ‘Hooked To The Silver Screen’ will cover Bowie’s career in film and his approach to music videos, while ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ will look at how he approached the theme of time.
Dundee will be the first stop for the exhibition, which will then be taken to Showtown Blackpool (June–September 2027), the Bowes Museum in County Durham (October 2027–January 2028), the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull (February–May 2028), and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (June–September 2028).
Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: ‘We couldn’t be happier to announce the good news that V&A Dundee in Scotland will be the first location for David Bowie: On Tour developed by the V&A.
‘David Bowie has always been one of the most-requested cultural figures our audiences have wanted to see celebrated at V&A Dundee. He left an indelible impression on the city after bringing the Ziggy Stardust tour to the city’s iconic music venue, Caird Hall, in 1973, following his first Dundee performance in 1966.
‘This is a thrilling opportunity for fans to get up close with never-before-seen objects from Bowie’s personal archive and to celebrate his remarkable story and extraordinary creative imagination.’
David Bowie: On Tour, V&A Dundee, Wednesday 4 November–Monday 15 February; main picture: Mick Rock/supplied by V&A.