What was David Bowie’s secret final project before his death?

David Bowie’s final secret project was a musical set in the 18th century. The Space Oddity hitmaker passed away from cancer in January 2016, and secret notes of a musical he was working on titled The Spectator were discovered in his study in the same year.

The BBC reported that the singer kept The Spectator a secret from even his closest collaborators. These notes have been donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. While these notes represent what the late singer had been working on at the time of his demise, his official last project is the album Blackstar, released just two days before his death.

Sticky notes were found plastered on Bowie’s study wall that showed the music legend’s thought process for the creation of The Spectator musical. Photos of the sticky notes reveal cast names like William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds.

The singer also appeared to be inspired by the criminal justice system of the 18th century, with characters like Jack Sheppard, a petty thief and vigilante Jonathan Wild written as characters in the story.

“It's interesting to think that Bowie was working on this in the US in 2015, with the political situation that was taking place there,” curator comments on the significance of David Bowie’s secret project

The David Bowie center will open on September 13, 2025, at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick, and fans and scholars can view the displayed notes. Madeleine Haddon, the lead curator, stated that the desk where the legendary musician worked will also be displayed at the Centre.

Haddon mused on the significance of Bowie working on his 18th-century play whilst being in the US in the early 2010s:

"It's interesting to think that Bowie was working on this in the US in 2015, with the political situation that was taking place there. Was he thinking about that: The power of art forms to create change within our own political moment?"

She concluded that the singer’s hidden notes will impact the next generation of musicians and artists.

"I hope people take away the breadth of impact he's had on popular culture – but I also hope people will be prompted to think about the tools and processes Bowie used that they can apply to their own creativity."

Two hundred items will be displayed at the David Bowie Centre, and visitors can book online to view any of the items in the collection personally.

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