A one-night-only Bowie exhibition is coming to London with untold stories from the people who knew him best

a portrait of David Bowie in black and white shot by Geoff MacCormack who will be one of the speakers at the event — (Image credit: Geoff MacCormack)

David Bowie is an icon, hands down. And one thing about icons is that they will keep generating new content long after their final bow. Photography exhibitions, memorabilia auctions, calendars, coffee table books of fashion highlights – the lists and events go on. The latest Bowie bonanza is all about the untold stories of the photographers who helped create the personas of the legend.

Titled 'Bowie Nights: Behind the Lens', the one-off event will see six renowned photographers gather in London's King’s Cross to share their unheard stories and images from their time working with Bowie, spilling the gossip about what it was to build the mystique around one of the world’s greatest pop stars.

Kicking off at Lightroom in King’s Cross on 26th May, from 7pm, journalist Miranda Sawyer will host five of Bowie’s collaborators, including, Geoff MacCormack, Kevin Cummins, Richard Young, Denis O’Regan, and Chris Duffy. Each photographer will be invited on stage to present their selected portraits that best capture their vision of the artist, whilst talking through personal anecdotes giving audiences a never-before-seen (or heard) insight into the creative world of Bowie.

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an image of Bowie in black and white, shot by Denis O'Regan which is part of the exhibition at Lightroom

Obviously, it would just be a bit of an insult to host a picture-inspired event in one of London’s best immersive venues without some supersized projections, so it’s not exactly surprising that the chosen photographers will be sharing their work on Lightroom's state-of-the-art four-storey projection walls to bring you closer to the mega star than ever.

The evening is part of Lightroom’s Bowie Nights season, a curated run of cross-disciplinary events unfolding across summer 2026. The series is celebrating the life and work of Bowie, featuring major artists influenced by his work from Jonathan Barnbrook to Adam Buxton. The events are running throughout May until September.

Tickets for Bowie Nights: Behind the Lens are currently on sale, retailing at £29.50, and they’re expected to sell out fast. If you fancy dipping into the wonderful and whacky world of Bowie, it’s worth checking out the rest of the series, including the flagship exhibition, David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, which is running throughout the summer.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.