David Bowie exhibit to open at V&A Dundee
A guitar played during the Ziggy Stardust era, keys to Bowie’s Berlin apartment, handwritten lyrics for his final studio album (Blackstar), costumes, instruments, photography and personal keepsakes are among more than 100 items from David Bowie’s archive to go on display in Scotland for the first time at V&A Dundee on Wednesday 4 November.
David Bowie: On Tour marks the first time highlights from David Bowie’s archive have been shared on this scale outside London, bringing Bowie’s story and creative imagination to audiences in Scotland before touring to venues across the UK.
David Bowie: On Tour (4 November 2026 – 15 February 2027) at V&A Dundee offers a glimpse into David Bowie’s life both on and off stage. A continually evolving innovator and creator, Bowie’s interests in music, theatre, dance, film, fashion, photography and art, were an unending source of inspiration feeding into his five decades of groundbreaking creative work.
Bowie's relationship with Scotland is highlighted with a focus on the sold-out Ziggy Stardust concert at Dundee's Caird Hall attended by 2,500 fans in 1973. More than 50 years later, Dundee is the first city to host the V&A’s David Bowie archive tour. Visitors can share their own thoughts on what Bowie means to them within the exhibition.
Highlights from David Bowie: On Tour include:
- Alto Saxaphone given to David Bowie by his father as his first instrument
- Lightning-bolt stage costume worn by Bowie for the Ziggy Stardust tour
- Ticket and Polaroids from Dundee gig, 1973
- Keys to Bowie's Berlin apartment
- Passport, personal keepsakes and to-do lists
- Script with Bowie’s notes for his character Jareth in Labyrinth
- Sketch by Bowie of the original idea for album cover Low
- Handwritten lyrics and notebooks relating to final albums The Next Day & ★ (Blackstar), and Bowie’s posthumous Grammy award
David Bowie: On Tour curator Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance at the V&A, said: “David Bowie: On Tour reveals an artist in constant motion - a restless, forward-looking mind at work beyond the music and images we know. From fan art and his first instrument to unrealised projects, handwritten notes and unseen sketches, over 100 highlights bring visitors up close to the ideas behind his work, including many objects that have never been displayed before, offering new insight into how his creativity took shape. It’s a rare chance to step inside Bowie’s imagination and experience the curiosity and daring that defined his life’s work.”
Leonie Bell, Director, V&A Dundee, said: "David Bowie: On Tour offers something very special: the chance to encounter personal and intimate objects, notes, photographs and creative material that reveal how David Bowie thought, worked and continually reinvented himself. Together they provide a fascinating insight into the imagination of an artist whose influence continues to be felt across music, design, fashion, film and popular culture.
"With tickets selling fast, we are delighted to be part of a 'Bowie Town' celebration, with themed events and activities taking place in venues across the city."
Svetlana Panova, Curator, V&A Dundee, said: “David Bowie played in Scotland multiple times throughout his career, including Glasgow Apollo, Murrayfield Stadium and Barrowland with his band Tin Machine.
“When researching Bowie’s performances in Dundee, we were struck by how vividly they still live in the hearts and memories of local fans, who have proudly held on to keepsakes such as concert tickets and Polaroid photographs. Their dedication has made it possible to tell the cherished local story of 17 May 1973, when Bowie performed Changes, The Jean Genie and Life On Mars? for 2,500 fans at a sold-out Caird Hall in Dundee. Wearing a red Kansai Yamamoto jumpsuit, he played the concert as part of the legendary Ziggy Stardust Tour.”
Sir Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “As David Bowie: On Tour opens at V&A Dundee, we celebrate the start of a major national programme sharing the creative legacy of one of Britain’s most influential cultural figures. It is fitting that this journey begins at Scotland’s design museum, where audiences can explore how Bowie fused music, fashion, performance and design to continually reinvent creative expression. By bringing highlights from Bowie’s extraordinary archive to audiences across the UK, we are opening up the national collection and inspiring new generations with the restless originality that made him a defining force in culture.”
First Minister John Swinney, said: “This exhibition is a fantastic celebration of David Bowie’s legacy and offers fans across Scotland a great opportunity to learn more about his life and creative processes.
“The exhibition’s opening in Dundee, before it travels to other museums across the UK, is testament to the V&A Dundee’s strength as a cultural institution. It continues to offer significant benefits to the city and wider region, drawing in visitors and boosting the local economy.”
David Bowie: On Tour is displayed across four sections, taking audiences behind the scenes into Bowie’s creative process and exploring how he created his ever-evolving image, music and screen work.
‘Bowie Through a Lens’ explores how photography shaped Bowie’s image and identity. A collection of influential photographs by Masayoshi Sukita, Terry O’Neill, Brian Ward and more capture Bowie’s distinct stage personas from 1969 through to 2012 documenting his cultural impact across the decades.
The second section, ‘All The Somebody People’ focuses on Bowie onstage and in the studio. From 1967 to 2016, David Bowie released 28 studio albums. Focussing on four eras of Bowie’s musical career gives insight into the vast creative impact of his work.
The third section, ‘Hooked to the Silver Screen’, recalls Bowie’s groundbreaking performances on screen. Highlights include, Bowie’s costume for his ‘Ashes to Ashes’ music video (1980), the clapperboard used for The Man Who Fell to Earth (1975) and his script, character notes and Polaroids of costume fittings for his character Jareth in the 1986 fantasy film, Labyrinth.
The final section, ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’, reveals some of the personal possessions Bowie chose to keep in his archive including Bowie’s first instrument, the Grafton Alto saxophone bought for him by his father in 1961, the stopwatch he used when songwriting, his 1988 British passport and his advance copy of The Velvet Underground’s 1967 ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ record. The creativity and dedication of Bowie’s fans are also recognised, with official merchandise shown alongside fan-made pins, fanzines and fan art.
David Bowie: On Tour is part of the global celebrations to mark what would have been Bowie's 80th birthday on 8 January 2027 – Bowie80 – offering fresh insight into the creativity that continues to inspire ongoing generations of artists, musicians and designers around the world.
David Bowie: On Tour at V&A Dundee is open from 4 November 2026 to 15 February 2027.