Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s

20 Sep 2025-29 Mar 2026

Overview

A major exhibition on the legendary Blitz club night that transformed 1980s London style, and generated a creative scene that had an enormous impact on popular culture in the decade that followed — from fashion and music, to film, art and design.

Behind a door in a Covent Garden side street, the Blitz club was the place where 1980s style began. Inspired by everything from David Bowie, the punk and soul scenes, to continental cinema and cabaret culture, the brightest young talents of their generation came together to revolutionise fashion, music and design, turning a niche club night into a launchpad for global superstardom.

The scene launched the careers of many stars, including chart-topping performers Spandau Ballet, Visage, Boy George and Marilyn as well as a long list of designers, artists, filmmakers and writers — from couture milliner Stephen Jones and Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton, to DJ and fashion writer Princess Julia and BBC broadcaster Robert Elms.

Forty years after its closure, visitors will be able to revisit the trailblazing club's history and atmosphere with a sensory extravaganza of music, flamboyant fashions, and pioneering art, film and graphic design.

Developed in close collaboration with some of the leading ‘Blitz Kids’ who were there, the exhibition will feature over 250 items, ranging from clothing and accessories, design sketches, musical instruments, flyers, magazines, furniture, artworks, photography, vinyl records and rare film footage.