It must be the (Ziggy) stardust! Bowie retrospective becomes the V&A's fastest selling exhibition EVER

  • The London museum has already sold 47,000 tickets
  • The exhibition runs until August 11th
  • Among the items on display are 60 costumes

By Ruth Styles

Published: | Updated:

An exhibition celebrating David Bowie's career has become the Victoria & Albert Museum's fastest-selling event to date.

More than 300 objects spanning his 50 years in showbusiness have been brought together for the first time, including hand-written lyrics, costumes, photographs, film, music videos, set designs and album artwork.

The museum in South Kensington, London, has been given unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive for the exhibition, which opens this weekend and runs until August 11.

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Glam rock: Images of the 'Thin White Duke' cover the walls at the V&A museum

Glam rock: Images of the 'Thin White Duke' cover the walls at the V&A museum

Drama: A supersized cloak painted with Chinese characters and worn on tour by Bowie

Drama: A supersized cloak painted with Chinese characters and worn on tour by Bowie

It showcases seminal items such as the Ziggy Stardust bodysuits from 1972 designed by Freddie Burretti, music videos such as Boys Keep Swinging and set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour in 1974.

Never-before-seen personal items such as story boards, Bowie's own sketches, musical scores and diary entries, as well as hand-written set lists and lyrics with be on public show for the first time.

While Bowie himself was not directly involved in the exhibition, curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh trawled through the vast archive to produce the first retrospective of the star's career to date.

The exhibition, which kicked off with a VIP party on Tuesday, is already the V&A's fastest selling on pre-sale tickets alone.

Guests at the party included pregnant model, Lara Stone, who looked chic and simple in her all black outfit, and her husband David Walliams.

Lara and David were joined at the dinner by Gary Kemp and his wife Lauren Barber, Yasmin and Simon Le Bon, Sir David Frost and Bianca Jagger.

Unique: Bowie's Alexander McQueen Union Jack coat

Unique: Bowie's Alexander McQueen Union Jack coat

Bizarre: Some of Bowie's looks have been slightly on the odd side

Bizarre: Some of Bowie's looks have been slightly on the odd side

Restrained: This lime green suit is one of the most dapper pieces

Restrained: This lime green suit is one of the most dapper pieces

Rock on! This all-in-one was worn by David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust tour during a performance of 'Starman' on Top of the Pops

Rock on! This all-in-one was worn by David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust tour during a performance of 'Starman'

Costume: Bowie has collected huge numbers of garments during his musical career

Costume: Bowie has collected huge numbers of garments during his musical career

A spokeswoman for the museum said: 'We have sold over 47,000 tickets for the exhibition. It is the most pre-sale tickets that we have ever recorded for an exhibition.'

Three years in the making, it has coincided with The Next Day, Bowie's first number one album since 1993's Black Tie White Noise, although this was not planned.

The exhibition features 60 stage costumes, including Kansai Yamamoto's designs for the Aladdin Sane tour of 1973 and a Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the 1997 Earthling Album cover.

In January, Bowie released the surprise single Where Are We Now? to coincide with his 66th birthday.

A critically acclaimed video was released for the second single, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), co-starring English actress Tilda Swinton.

His new album, The Next Day, went straight to number one on iTunes when it was released.

Glittering: Guests at the launch party included Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (left) and David Walliams, who arrived with his pregnant model wife, Lara Stone
Glittering: Guests at the launch party included Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (left) and David Walliams, who arrived with his pregnant model wife, Lara Stone

Glittering: Guests at the launch party included Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (left) and David Walliams, who arrived with his pregnant model wife, Lara Stone, who is expecting the couple's first child in two months time

Party: Model turned DJ, Mary Charteris, and actress Tilda Swinton for the launch at the V&A
Party: Model turned DJ, Mary Charteris, and actress Tilda Swinton for the launch at the V&A

Party: Model turned DJ, Mary Charteris, and actress Tilda Swinton for the launch at the V&A

Colourful: Japanese designers, Taro Otsuka and Kansai Yamamoto pose with Dame Vivienne Westwood

Colourful: Japanese designers, Taro Otsuka and Kansai Yamamoto pose with Dame Vivienne Westwood

No show: Bowie, pictured with his Somali model wife Iman, did not attend the event

No show: Bowie, pictured with his Somali model wife Iman, did not attend the event




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