It’s not often you go to an exhibition (if this indeed is even an exhibition) and find yourself searching for yourself and old mates in a delirious crowd scene from 46 years ago.

You see, we went to see David Bowie at Earls Court in 1978 and in this immersive experience they have never-seen-before footage of the great man singing Heroes at that gig, complete with the pumped-up audience singing along.

We were there.

And, thankfully, my schoolfriend David Jordan and I still are, although we lost a few on the way, including the most Bowie obsessed guy ever, Phil Turner, who was the reason most of us got into him in the first place.

Phil would have loved this show, probably could have made it himself, he was so immersed in his idol.

And immersion this is. Less an exhibition, not a documentary, not a cinematic rock concert.

It all starts as you walk up from Kings Cross station, past the new Google building, over the canal and towards the venue: there are photographic posters of Bowie all around, great shots from concerts through the ages, taken by ace photographers such as Mick Rock and Denis O’Regan.

Inside Lightroom, Bowie is everywhere and after you get past the merch, it’s into the huge four-story immersive cinema for You’re Not Alone, a swirling kaleidoscope of Bowie performances through the decades, imagery, music, history and his own words.

Written and directed by Mark Grimmer, the creative director of the ground-breaking V&A David Bowie Is retrospective, and Tom Wexler, the show pulls in film from Space Oddity, Starman, Diamond Dogs, Heroes to Blackstar. The technology is a creative wonder.

Musically it’s a blast, but it’s also emotional, the soundtrack of many of our lives, it brought a few tears to my eyes and memories of gigs we have seen (including the Serious Moonlight tour at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 1983).

And, of course, of sitting in my friend Phil’s bedroom, listening to the vinyl, strumming on a Harptone guitar, smoking Gitanes because that’s what Bowie smoked. Never forgotten, always in our lives.

Bowie died 10 years ago, but this show is a valuable reminder of the great shape-shifting artist and innovator that he was. I hate the over-used word Icon, but well, that’s what he was. Well worth a visit.

Tickets from £25 adults, £15 students and under-18s. Running until 10 October 2026, with Friday late-night openings throughout May as part of the Bowie Nights programme. Book ahead. Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY.

Where to Eat and Drink

King's Cross has quietly become one of London's strongest dining neighbourhoods, and the area around Lightroom and Coal Drops Yard gives you excellent options at every register.

German Gymnasium (££–£££) — For a pre- or post-show occasion, it is hard to beat. Housed in a stunning Grade II-listed former gymnasium, it sits at the entrance to King's Cross, an extraordinary room of soaring ceilings and original timber trusses. The all-day menu is built around London's finest schnitzels, traditional sausages (posh bangers and mash), seasonal delicacies and tortes, with German pilsner and wines available on the alfresco terraces. The upstairs Meister Bar is one of the neighbourhood's best spots for a cocktail — suitably Berlin in its atmosphere. Book ahead, especially at weekends.

(££) — Set over two floors of a beautiful old brick building on Stable Street, Lina Stores has a buzzy open kitchen, an intimate aperitivo bar, and a gloriously retro interior in that signature mint green. The menu centres on fresh pasta handmade daily, with choices ranging from beef cheeks in Barolo to fish, seafood and vegetarian options, finished off with the dessert trolley carting around tiramisu and torta Caprese. Counter seats overlooking the kitchen are the best in the house. Book ahead for lunch and dinner — this place is reliably full.

What Else to See at King's Cross

The neighbourhood rewards a longer afternoon. Coal Drops Yard — ten minutes' walk from Lightroom — is one of London's most thoughtfully restored shopping and eating destinations, worth exploring for the architecture alone.

Granary Square, adjacent, is one of the finest public spaces in the city on a good day, with the fountains and canalside terraces perfect for a post-show pause.