First Look: Inside the David Bowie: On Tour exhibtion opening at Dundee’s V&A
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 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.
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.”
David Bowie: On Tour at V&A Dundee is open from 4 November 2026 to 15 February 2027.
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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
owie in 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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
‘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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
Letter read out by Tilda Swinton at the opening of the David Bowie Centre at the V&A East Storehouse, 2025. She writes of his archive being full of 'magical properties', now available to 'everyone who might want an actual, personal, rummage, not just for the duration of a show, but in perpetuity.' Included is a photograph from 2016 that Bowie sent Swinton as a marker of their close friendship.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
Original ticket for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust gig at Caird Hall in Dundee from 1973.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee
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.
Grant Anderson for V&A Dundee