David Bowie gets new waxwork at Madame Tussauds to mark his 75th birthday – in pictures

1 April 2022, 10:06

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London attraction Madame Tussauds has made a second David Bowie waxwork.

David Bowie would have been 75 this year, sparking a wave of celebrations and special releases.

The rock icon died in 2016, just days after he turned 69 and the release of his final album Blackstar.

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To mark the 75th anniversary of his birth, Madame Tussauds London has unveiled a new likeness of David Bowie.

The attraction already has one Bowie waxwork, which was first unveiled in 1983 around the time of his Let's Dance album.

While it matched his then-current look, Bowie's constant changes in style meant the bleach blonde figure soon felt like a moment in time.

The new waxwork is a more timeless image of Bowie, featuring the signature red hairstyle, cosmic jumpsuit and celestial makeup from his glam look around his breakthrough 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

"David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust transcends generations and music genres, making him the ultimate headliner to launch our new Music Festival zone," said General Manager at Madame Tussauds London Tim Waters.

"We were honoured to work with his estate in what would have been his 75th year and play our small part in keeping his inimitable legacy alive for generations to come."

He added: "We know that guests love to meet their music heroes here at the attraction.

"With our new Music Festival experience, we've captured the magic of live music, with legends you literally could not see perform together anywhere else, in a way that only Madame Tussauds London could.

"There's also the added bonus of no muddy fields or main-stage clashes to contend with."

To celebrate the "impossible festival line-up" theme, Madame Tussauds combined unlikely mixtures of figures at famous London's venues.

Bowie's figure was joined on stage by Stormzy at the Hammersmith Apollo; Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse and Freddie Mercury at Abbey Road Studios' Studio 1; Jimi Hendrix and Dua Lipa at Ronnie Scott's, and Bob Marley and Beyoncé at Honest Jon's.

Earlier this year when Tim had been teasing the new figure, he said: "David Bowie is one of music's greats.

"On what would have been his 75th birthday the most fitting tribute for Madame Tussauds London to give to our old friend is the creation of a new figure."

He added: "His music inspired the masses and, for so many, changed the way they viewed themselves, and we hope remembering him here will ensure that it continues to do so for centuries to come.

"We felt privileged to work with him back in the '80s and are just as honoured to work with his estate now to continue the legacy of this truly outstanding music career."

The new Bowie waxwork is one of the figures in the attractions new Music Festival zone, which launches on April 1.

Earlier this year, Madame Tussauds also released a clutch of images of the original Bowie figure being worked on back in the early 1980s.

The pictures include shots of Bowie sitting with artists to provide hair and skin colour references and precise measurements, which will also be used on the new figure.