A cultural deep dive into Bowie’s London, creativity, and never-before-seen artefacts
London has a new pilgrimage site, and it’s not a stage or a studio — it’s a working archive. The David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse opens its doors on 13 September 2025, offering fans, creatives, and curious minds unprecedented access to one of the most influential artists of our time. And yes, it’s completely free.
While East London is no stranger to bold creative moves, this one takes things interstellar. Nestled in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Bowie Centre isn’t just another museum show. It’s a permanent, living archive housing over 90,000 items, many of which have never seen the light of day — until now.
David Bowie Centre: A Portal into the Artist’s Mind
From stage costumes suspended overhead to hand-scribbled lyrics and Bowie’s own unrealised musical, The Spectator, this isn’t your average display of rock memorabilia. It’s a journey into his brain, layered and lovingly curated.
Visitors can explore nine rotating displays, featuring around 200 carefully selected items spanning iconic eras, personas, and collaborators. Highlights include an unseen Ziggy Stardust guitar, costume designs by Bowie himself, and the actual clapperboard from The Man Who Fell to Earth.
But what makes this experience truly radical? The ‘Order an Object’ service. You can book one-on-one time with specific items from the archive. Yes, really. Whether you’re a fashion student researching Bowie’s Mugler wedding suit or a filmmaker fascinated by his Blackstar sketches, you can literally pull up a chair next to history.
A Creative Archive for a Creative City
The opening of the David Bowie Centre is a major win not just for Bowie lovers but for London’s cultural fabric. Curator Dr. Madeleine Haddon describes Bowie as a “pioneering multi-disciplinary creative,” someone who moved through music, film, art, and performance long before it became trendy on TikTok.
This spirit of boundary-breaking creativity infuses every inch of the archive. There’s Bowie’s first saxophone, bought by his father. There’s a Jim Henson-designed puppet for a music video that never happened. And then there’s The Spectator — a full-blown 18th-century musical that Bowie was developing up until his death in 2016. Think Covent Garden meets public executions, queer salons, and Enlightenment philosophy. You can even see the sticky notes and character outlines he left behind.
The Bowie Influence: From Jungle to Gaga
This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a conversation between past and future, and Bowie remains right in the middle of it. The Centre includes an interactive installation, The Library of Connections, tracing his ripple effect across pop culture — from Friends to Charli XCX, from Issey Miyake to Kendrick Lamar.
In the main reading areas, creatives and researchers can go deep — analysing original sketches, album art concepts, and even Bowie’s prophetic writings on the future of the internet. For anyone interested in how influence works — how ideas evolve — this is a treasure trove.
Free Access, Big Impact
Perhaps most shockingly, access to the Bowie Centre is free. Tickets are released every six weeks, so you’ll need to plan ahead, but for a project of this scale and intimacy, it’s a remarkable gift to the public.
More than 500 items were booked within the first week of launch, and the most requested piece? That Alexander McQueen-designed frockcoat Bowie wore for his 50th birthday. Because, of course.
Even if you don’t snag a ticket for the curated displays, you can still explore the wider V&A East Storehouse experience. The museum’s Object Encounters sessions will also run with Bowie-themed programming in the first week after opening, giving visitors rare behind-the-scenes peeks into the archive’s storage spaces.
Bowie Lives Here Now
The David Bowie Centre isn’t just a destination. It’s a declaration — that London still values radical creativity, still celebrates those who bend genres, timelines, and genders. It’s a space to remember Bowie not just as a legend but as an ever-evolving artist who always had something more to say.
So whether you’re a lifelong fan, a student looking for inspiration, or just someone who’s ever danced in front of a mirror to “Let’s Dance,” this is a moment not to miss.