V&A Announces National Tour of David Bowie Archive Highlights Across UK Starting November 2026
The Victoria and Albert Museum announced a landmark national tour of over 100 highlights from its David Bowie archive, titled "David Bowie: On Tour," which will travel to venues across the UK beginning in November 2026. The tour kicks off at V&A Dundee (November 2026–February 2027), then moves to Showtown in Blackpool (June–September 2027), the Bowes Museum in County Durham (October 2027–January 2028), Ferens Art Gallery in Hull (February–May 2028), and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (June–September 2028), with additional venues to be announced. Items on display include legendary costumes, musical instruments, career-spanning photography, and never-before-seen items such as Polaroids from make-up and costume fittings, a Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar, handwritten lyrics, performance notes, and costumes from Bowie's final albums "The Next Day" and "★ (Blackstar)." The tour is the first time highlights from the archive, acquired by the V&A in 2024, have been shared on this scale outside London.
The Signal
This touring programme signals a strategic shift by the V&A to extend its national reach and democratize access to its collections, particularly for audiences outside London. For collectors and curators, the tour offers a rare opportunity to see archival material that illuminates Bowie's creative process across music, film, and fashion, potentially increasing interest in Bowie-related memorabilia and ephemera. The inclusion of never-before-displayed items from Bowie's final albums may also deepen scholarly and market attention to his late-career output, reinforcing his status as a posthumous cultural and commercial force.
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- Artists: David Bowie
- People: Sir Tristram Hunt, Harriet Reed
- Museums: Victoria and Albert Museum, V&A Dundee, Showtown, Bowes Museum, Ferens Art Gallery, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
- Locations: Dundee, Blackpool, County Durham, Hull, Bristol
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