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V&A unveils The Music is Black: A British Story major music exhibition
The V&A museum has unveiled a major new exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story. The exhibition travel through time as over 120 tracks from every era play directly through visitor headset. More than an exhibition, this immersive sound experience explores the power and impact of Black British music. It reveals how Black British music has shaped British culture over the last 125 years – and its impact around the world
The exhibition is the launch event at the brand new V&A East Museum opened in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Co-created with young people, creatives, and east Londoners, it celebrates making and creativity’s power to bring change
The exhibition brings together hidden stories of early legends and contemporary artists through objects from groundbreaking musician Winifred Atwell’s piano to Stormzy’s iconic 2019 Glastonbury vest designed by Banksy, originally conceived on the back of a napkin. Other highlights include Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar, equipment belonging to Fabio & Grooverider, including Grooverider’s first turntable, the Super Nintendo Jme used for his early music experiments, alongside fashion worn by Little Simz, Seal, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sade and Skin. Also on show are artworks revealing the joy, resilience and importance of Black British artistry and the way in which music moves us, by Dame Sonia Boyce, Zak Ové, Sokari Douglas Camp CBE, Denzil Forrester, and specially commissioned new works by Sir Frank Bowling and LR Vandy.
Committed to researching the impact of Black British music both globally and in the UK, the V&A has acquired over 50 photographs from the 1960s to the 2010s to its collection – many on display in the exhibition for the first time. Works include Dennis Morris’s early photographs of Bob Marley, Eddie Otchere’s evocative diptych of drum & bass pioneers DJ Kemistry and DJ Storm, Soulla Petrou’s portrait of UK garage and R&B trio, Mis-Teeq and Laura ‘Hyperfrank’ Brosnan’s print capturing Skepta’s family celebrating his 2016 Mercury Prize win.
The BBC have partnered with V&A East on The Music Is Black: A British Story, providing access to archival materials, and releasing a season of content across its channels and platforms inspired by the exhibition.
The content is curated at bbc.co.uk/themusicisblack and includes a new audio-visual mixtape from Shortee Blitz and Beat A Maxx. The exhibition also inspires The Music is Black Festival, a series of programming, displays and performances in collaboration with East Bank partners across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and beyond in summer 2026.
V&A East Museum opens its doors on Saturday 18 April as part of East Bank, the new cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, supported by the Mayor of London. Co-created with young people, creatives, and those living, working and studying in east London, V&A East Museum celebrates making and creativity’s power to bring change around the world.
