V&A to bring David Bowie archive highlights to Blackpool’s Showtown

Ziggy played guitar…and now you can see it up close at Blackpool’s Showtown museum.

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has announced a national tour of highlights from its incredible David Bowie archive will travel across the UK for the very first time. DAVID BOWIE: ON TOUR is to be hosted by Blackpool’s award-winning museum of fun and entertainment from Wednesday 30 June to Sunday 26 September 2027.

David Bowie: On Tour at Showtown will be the only chance for North West visitors to experience over 100 highlights from the V&A’s famous David Bowie archive in this thrilling celebration of the creativity and enduring cultural impact of the iconic superstar of Sound and Vision. 

Items will include Bowie’s legendary costumes, musical instruments, career spanning photography and personal treasures, including the stopwatch he used when songwriting; plus never-before-seen items including Polaroids of make-up tests, a Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar, unrealised scripts, and handwritten lyrics, performance notes and costumes from Bowie’s final albums.

Bowie’s connection to Blackpool goes back 60 years when he played live on the resort’s South Pier on Sunday 29 May 1966 with his short-lived backing band The Buzz – three years before he released his breakthrough single Space Oddity in 1969.

As the legend prepares to return to the town in 2027, Spencer Phillips, Chairman of the Blackpool Heritage and Museum Trust, which operates Showtown, said: “This is a hugely significant announcement for Showtown and for Blackpool as a whole as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of David Bowie’s live performance in the resort.

‘’This exciting new collaboration with the V&A demonstrates a national confidence in our award-winning museum and offers North West visitors an extraordinary chance to experience the genius of Bowie and his incredible creative legacy.”

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.” 

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 onstage and in the studio across four defining eras:

• Ziggy Stardust, which features a seminal acoustic guitar from the era on display for the very first time.
• Bowie’s Berlin, which highlights his pioneering use of techniques and recording equipment in the studio with Tony Visconti and Brian Eno.
• Let’s Dance, which reveals how Bowie created the blueprint for major stadium tours.
• ★ (Blackstar), which explores Bowie’s symbolism in recalling previous eras through his final recording, giving never-before-seen insight into the album’s creation.

The third section, Hooked to the Silver Screen, reveals Bowie’s groundbreaking performances on TV and the silver screen, and the final section, I Can’t Give Everything Away, explores the items and personal possessions Bowie chose to keep, showing a creative mind constantly thinking about the next project.

The David Bowie archive is permanently housed at V&A East Storehouse, Hackney, and was acquired by the V&A in 2024 through the generosity of the David Bowie Estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group.

It comprises more than 90,000 items spanning Bowie’s extraordinary career, from iconic costumes and musical instruments to handwritten lyrics, photography, stage designs and personal papers.

David Bowie: On Tour has been developed by V&A Touring and V&A National Programmes, in collaboration with partner venues across the UK, and is curated by Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance at the V&A.

This touring programme is part of the V&A’s commitment to widening access to its collections, ensuring audiences across the UK can experience their national collections where they live.

Blackpool-born journalist, musician, author and cultural commentator, John Robb, said of the Blackpool tour stop: “There is something quite perfect about David Bowie: On Tour coming to Blackpool, a town built on the same stardust as the pop culture legend. Bowie and Blackpool both created magic out of imagination and both hypnotise with their illuminations.”

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, added: “Bowie in Blackpool. This is a match made in heaven. We’re delighted to continue our excellent relationship with the V&A and be the only place in the North West of England for people to enjoy this fantastic collection. We have such an eclectic range of culture in Blackpool, and David Bowie: On Tour is another great addition for local people and visitors to enjoy.”