The late legendary musician David Bowie’s 80th birthday will be celebrated with a series of events, exhibitions, publications, collaborations and experiences starting in November and extending through 2027, his estate announced Monday. Details will be announced on the new website at bowie80.davidbowie.com; startup projects are listed below.
One of the most influential musicians of the rock era, Bowie was born David Jones in London on January 8, 1947 (he shared a birthday with Elvis Presley, who was born 12 years earlier) and died of cancer on January 10, 2016, just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his remarkable final album, “Blackstar”. His estate has released a series of excellent reissues planned by Bowie himself in the years since his death.
*The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is planning a Bowie80 celebration in mid-November, anchored by a special retail store. The Rock Hall will also host fan events throughout David’s birthday weekend, including Bowie-themed educational presentations, information, music and photo shoots, and an exhibition of photographers’ work, some of which has never been exhibited or published before. Exhibition and program details will be announced in the coming months.
*The site has formed an exclusive partnership with Nordstrom, celebrating Bowie’s enduring impact on fashion through three immersive flagship stores in Seattle, New York and Chicago; It offers special and limited edition collections created specifically to launch the Bowie campaign. The stores will feature clothing and accessories from Undercover, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, AllSaints and many other designers and brands.
*Morrison Hotel Gallery will celebrate David Bowie’s 80th anniversary with a major photography exhibition, “Strange Fascination.” The exhibition will open in New York City and West Hollywood in early February 2027 and will bring together career-defining and previously unpublished photographs from the famed archives of the Morrison Hotel Gallery and the David Bowie estate. The exhibition will be presented in six periods, identities and reinventions that help define the artist’s influence on music, fashion, art and culture. Additional details will be announced in January.
*BOWIE (breaking) GLASS is a new live symphonic concert production developed by Schirmer Theatrical and Østre Gasværk Teater, bringing the songs and voice of David Bowie into “a new musical and visual dialogue” with Philip Glass. Featuring Bowie’s original recordings along with live vocalists, musicians and orchestra, this official concert experience will have its world premiere in Copenhagen in Spring 2027.
*Perryscope Productions, David Bowie’s long-time sales representatives, will be releasing exclusive Bowie80 products effective immediately. Additionally, new and long-time David Bowie apparel and accessories licensees, including Phix, Rockoff, Rowdy Sprout, Roots of Fight, Stoned Immaculate, Girl Skateboards and more, will release new Bowie & Bowie80-themed merchandise throughout the anniversary year.
*The “David Bowie: You Are Not Alone” show, which opened at London Lightroom this year, will reach new audiences in 2027 with its first European venue, Port des Lumières in Hamburg, in addition to Manchester and Brighton. The show uses large screens and high-quality sound to explore the artist’s life and career.
*The V&A’s ‘David Bowie: On Tour’ exhibition will showcase works from Bowie’s 90,000-item archive, touring the UK starting in Dundee, visiting further venues in 2028 and 2029, before moving to Blackpool in 2027.
More projects will be released in the coming months.