David Bowie tribute show to be staged in the UK's largest planetarium

A tribute show in celebration of the late David Bowie is to take place inside the UK's largest planetarium at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Bowie: Oddity to Mars will take place from May 20 until May 22, and will host four special performances courtesy of David Live – a tribute band named after Bowie’s 1974 live album.

Held inside the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium – the largest of its kind in the UK – the shows will celebrate the late musician's music between 1969 and 1972; the years in which Bowie shot to global stardom with his extra-terrestrial alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Alongside the performance, the event will screen projections of footage provided by NASA, with an additional visual element developed by the Space Centre’s own in-house team.

The visuals will be presented as a 360-degree projection, and will display the journey of Apollo 17 – the Apollo program’s final mission to Mars in 1972. The duration of the mission coincides fittingly with the period of Bowie’s early career, beginning with 1969’s self-titled record and ending with The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year).

In a press statement, head of marketing for the National Space Centre,Malika Andress, says: “It is really fitting this hit show is our first big evening event, following the pandemic. David Live are phenomenal, bringing the music of David Bowie to life in our planetarium alongside stunning visuals created by our in-house team.”

Two shows will be held on each evening, with tickets on sale now from the Space Centre’s website – although it looks like they're already sold out!

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.