Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars - 50th anniversary

July 3, 1973 - David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust, his most celebrated alter-ego, in front of 5000 disbelieving fans onstage at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. 50 years to that day, Ziggy will return to that same stage for one night only...

July 3, 2023 - The Eventim Apollo Hammersmith (formerly the Odeon) hosted the global premiere of the newly restored version of ‘Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture’ with the film also being shown in 1000+ cinemas worldwide during the month of July.

It is one of the most iconic performances in the history of modern music: the moment where David Bowie retired his Ziggy Stardust alter ego in front of an audience of 5000 fans at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.

Bowie’s decision to retire Ziggy, the character that had made him a star, and split his band, The Spiders From Mars, secured his future, allowing him to become the restless, inquisitive and shape-shifting artist that we know him to be. That one moment also changed popular culture, unleashing a set of artistic and ideological freedoms that are still being enjoyed by musicians and the wider creative community today.

The band’s performance on July 3, 1973, was captured on film by award-winning director DA Pennebaker (famed for Dylan’s classic ’67 doc, Don’t Look Back) and released under the title of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture.