A Guide to David Bowie’s London

Bright lights, Soho, Wardour street - we follow in the footsteps of the incredible David Bowie.

A person with short hair and a plaid shirt leans on a balcony railing overlooking a busy street with cars, buses, and large trees in the background. The person gazes towards the camera with a serious expression.
Image © Mike Maloney/Mirror Trinity Group Archives

One of the most iconic and celebrated music artists in the world. Known for his constant innovation and musical shape shifting, he had an undeniable and significant influence on the music world as well as making strong statements with his stage personas that altered perceptions of masculinity, gender and sexuality.  

A Londoner born and bred, Bowie, born David Jones, began life in South West London, before branching out to the music scene in the backstreets of Soho and beyond. Celebrate Bowie's memory by exploring some of the remnants of his former life here, discovering his modest early life, inspirations and the places that shaped him. 

A close-up of a street sign attached to a brick wall. The sign reads Stansfield Road and has the area code SW9 in the bottom right corner. The bricks are a brownish-red color, and a portion of a window frame is visible on the right side of the image.
Image © foresquare.com

40 Stansfield Road Brixton

Our David Bowie tour begins at David Bowie’s birthplace. Well known as a Brixton boy, David Jones was born on 8 January 1947 at this suburban home in SW9. He lived here until the age of six before moving to London's outskirts of Bromley. There aren’t many traces or references to Bowie here anymore, apart from the occasional floral tribute, but it’s worth a wander past to understand where it all began, a surprisingly humble and normal upbringing for one of the world’s most unique and eccentric artists.  

Fun Fact: it was here that Bowie met George Underwood who designed some of his album covers! 


A vibrant mural featuring an artist with a lightning bolt painted across their face is surrounded by colorful, bubble-like circles on a red background. In front of the mural are various tributes, including flowers, photos, and a red balloon.
Image © James Cochran, aka Jimmy C via bbc.com

Brixton Mural

Just a stone’s throw from Brixton station, this is a must-see location for any David Bowie enthusiast. Painted on the side of a department stall by artist Jimmy Cochran, this was the location for a vigil held after news of Bowie’s death. People still scrawl messages, bring their flowers and notes of adoration here, so it’s a perfect location to see tributes from fans across the world and understand his extensive influence. 


Pollock’s Toy Museum

A historic brick building houses Pollock's Toy Museum, featuring a vibrant storefront with displays of various toys in the windows. The green and red exterior is adorned with vintage signage and colorful murals, creating a nostalgic, playful atmosphere.
Image © Ann Lee via Flickr.com

It probably comes as no surprise that Bowie was inspired by the weird and the unexpected. And who knew that a small toy museum would be a haven of creative inspiration for Bowie? Full of Victorian toy theatres, dolls with eerie painted faces and wooden Punch and Judy puppets, the museum may well have encouraged Bowie’s attraction to the colourful, experimental and unconventional. 


A lavishly decorated room with rich green damask wallpaper, golden trim, and wooden floor. A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The room features ornate furniture, a grand fireplace with a large mirror, and tall windows draped with white curtains.
Image © Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport via Flickr.com

Wallace Collection

Bowie was certainly a fan of soaking up London’s culture, and alongside the toy museum he also enjoyed visiting the Wallace Collection, an art collection specialising in European 18th century painting and furniture. He would often arrive back to his flat on Manchester Street with varied books and objects from his cultural adventures around the capital. 


A red plaque mounted on a brick wall reads: David Bowie, Rock Musician, lived in Beckenham and launched his career in The Three Tuns, 1969-1973. Surrounding the central text are the words: Foxgrove Road, Haddon Hall, Ziggy Stardust, and The Arts Lab.
Image © Paul Wright via Flickr.com

Beckenham High Street Plaque

A former resident of Beckenham, Bowie is proudly commemorated on the High Street. The Three Tuns Pub, now a Zizzi’s, was home to a folk club set up by Bowie, the Beckenham Arts Lab, at the very beginning of his career in 1969. Bowie’s time in Beckenham is commemorated by a colourful red and yellow plaque, rejecting the formal navy and white colours used for plaques in typical Bowie style. 


A circular black plaque mounted on a brick wall reads, Ziggy Stardust 1972: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. It marks the location of the cover photograph for the iconic David Bowie album.
Image © o.nouvelobs.com

Heddon Street Alley

Blink and you’ll miss it, but this little alleyway in Mayfair is truly an iconic stop-off point on the David Bowie tour of London. It was here that David Bowie stood for a photo that would become the album cover for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Although it’s full of high-class restaurants now, you can imagine Bowie standing below the K.West sign, his foot on a pile of cardboard boxes with a guitar strapped around him. Look out for the Bowie plaque emblazoned with his most famous moniker - Ziggy Stardust. 


Denmark Street

A busy street lined with colorful shops including a saxophone store, guitar store, and a music cellars shop. People walk on the sidewalk, and a red double-decker bus and black taxi are visible on the road. Trees and tall buildings frame the scene.
Image © Tupungato via timeout.com

Just a few minutes from Oxford Street, Soho takes pride of place in David Bowie’s London history. It was here that Bowie escaped the suburbs and began to create a name for himself. Denmark Street is a famous location for music in London, full of shop fronts displaying Fender guitars and keyboards. Wander down this little street to the site of the former La Gioconda cafe, where Bowie used to sit for hours with friend, glam rocker Marc Bolan, undoubtedly planning his rise to the top. 


Wardour Street

Street view of The Ship, a traditional pub on a street corner with a black-painted exterior. Large windows with decorative filigree line the ground floor, and hanging flower baskets adorn the facade. A prominent lantern hangs above the entrance.
Image © whatpub.com

Soho’s Wardour Street has a few points of interest for Bowie fans. It’s the site of the demolished Marquee Club, where Bowie performed numerous times between 1965 and 1973. A particularly significant point of interest is The Ship Pub, where Bowie would often stop off for a drink and where you can do just the same on a break from your Bowie hunting. 


Trident Studios

A blue plaque dedicated to David Bowie, 1947-2016, on a wall between two green curtains. The plaque commemorates his albums Hunky Dory and The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust, and the single Space Oddity, all recorded at Trident Studios. Awarded by BBC Radio London.
Image © audiomediainternational.com

Walk down an alleyway just off Wardour Street and find St Anne’s Court, where Bowie recorded Space Oddity at Trident Studios. A little gem of music history, it was also frequented by The Beatles, Elton John and Queen. Although it’s mostly just full of shops and cafes now, it’s fascinating to know that some of Britain’s most famous musicians have unleashed their creative force here.