From never-before-seen Polaroids and handwritten lyrics to legendary costumes and musical instruments, David Bowie: On Tour offers groups an extraordinary insight into one of music’s greatest icons, opening at V&A Dundee in November before travelling to Blackpool, Hull, County Durham and Bristol.
More than 100 highlights from the V&A’s David Bowie archive will go on tour across the UK, offering groups a unique insight into his creative process and how he shaped his iconic image, music, video, TV and film work.
Opening at the V&A Dundee in November (until February 2027), David Bowie: On Tour, will include a Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar, unrealised scripts as well as performance notes and costumes from Bowie’s final albums, The Next Day and ★ (Blackstar).
“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.”
Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee
What groups can expect to see
Across four sections, David Bowie: On Tour will take audiences behind the scenes, exploring how Bowie created his ever-evolving image, music and screen work. It marks the first time that highlights from David Bowie’s archive have been shared on this scale outside London.
The opening section, Bowie Through a Lens, explores how photography shaped Bowie’s image and identity, featuring work by Terry O’Neill, Mick Rock, Sukita, Brian Ward and more.
The second section, All the Somebody People focuses on Bowie on stage and in the studio across four defining eras, revealing how he continually reinvented his sound and personas.
The third section, Hooked to the Silver Screen, reveals Bowie’s groundbreaking performances on screen, from him pushing the boundaries with his approach to music videos to his iconic film and TV roles and unexpected cameos. Highlights include contact sheets from Bowie’s first ever film set, The Image (1967) and the clapperboard used for The Man Who Fell to Earth (1975).
The final section, I Can’t Give Everything Away, explores Bowie’s interest in time, documenting his process and legacy. The items and personal possessions that Bowie chose to keep in his archive are revealing, showing a creative mind constantly thinking about the next project. Highlights include his first instrument, the Grafton Alto saxophone bought for him by his father in 1961 and the harmonica microphone used on his last live tour (A Reality Tour, 2003-2004).
A unique insight into Bowie’s remarkable story and imagination
Personal items, such as fan art, the stopwatch he used when songwriting, and his 1988 British passport will be on display along with handwritten to-do lists with the workshops, interviews and museum visits Bowie had planned, charts revealing the projects he wanted to achieve – and those that went unrealised, such as Bowie’s handwritten synopsis for a proposed TV film called The Catastrophy Cabinet dating to around 1974-1975.
Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: “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.”
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.”
Tickets for the V&A Dundee dates will go on sale in late September via the V&A Dundee website www.vam.ac.uk/dundee with priority booking for V&A Dundee Members. Tickets for the other venues will be released in due course.
