George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! photographed in London, 1983. © Lin Gered Mankowitz, Iconic Images
Opening in March 2027, the major new exhibition explores the creative explosion of 1972–1985, tracing how punk, underground subcultures and a DIY spirit transformed music, art and fashion
Debbie Harry of Blondie on the ‘Heart of Glass’ music video shoot, 1978. Photograph by Roberta Bayley. © Roberta Bayley Redferns Getty Images
Today, the V&A announces details of its major upcoming exhibition, Punk to Pop. Opening in March 2027, Punk to Pop will be an immersive exhibition that will re-examine the rich and eclectic creative explosion across music, art and fashion from 1972–1985. This major exhibition will explore how the 70s fuelled the 80s, and how underground scenes and movements, united by a punk DIY attitude, created enduring musical genres to inspire the future of popular entertainment.
Across three acts and around 300 objects, the exhibition will trace a story through music that begins with the flamboyant aesthetics of glam rock and disco, goes underground with the emergence of new subcultures including punk, Northern Soul, goth and the New Romantics, and finishes with a global pop culture primed for the digital age.
Through theatrical staging and a sonic headset experience, the exhibition will show how a generation of self-determined artists – from Sex Pistols to The Slits, Grace Jones to Blondie, Siouxsie Sioux to The Cure, The Specials to Joy Division, Wham! to Eurythmics – responded to austerity, boredom and political turbulence. It will celebrate how a punk spirit sparked a seismic cultural change that dovetailed with rapid technological advances and the richness of a multicultural society.
Highlight objects that feature in the exhibition include Sex Pistols album artwork designed by Jamie Reid, handwritten lyrics by Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, and The Clash’s Mick Jones’ first electric guitar on loan from The Rock & Roll Public Library. Other highlights include photographs of Grace Jones by Andy Warhol, clothing worn by disco legend Sylvester, and glam rock costumes worn by Roxy Music’s Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry. The exhibition also features stage costumes worn by Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry and never-before-displayed stage costumes worn by George Michael.
Visitors will journey through a series of multi-sensory worlds encountering stage costumes, fashion, photography, music videos, designs and live performance – to discover how music provided a place to escape, experiment and dream, and embrace individuality, sexuality and identity. Punk to Pop will celebrate the spirit of punk and music culture, showcasing the relevance and continuum of these transformative decades.
Model for proposed set design for David Bowie's Serious Moonlight tour, 1983. Designed and made by Derek Boshier. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive
For more information: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/punk-to-pop
