David Bowie exhibition breaks V&A record

A retrospective exhibition of the life and work of David Bowie has become the most visited show in the V&A's history.

More than 1.5 million people have visited David Bowie Is across eight venues around the world so far, the museum said.

About 312,000 of those visitors were to the exhibition's debut in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013.

The show will complete its international 10-stop tour next year.

It is currently in its final weeks at the Museum of Modern Art in Bologne and will open in Tokyo in January before completing its tour in Barcelona in May.

Until now, the V&A's most successful touring shows included Art Deco, (which received 1.17 million visitors) Vivienne Westwood (844,000) and Surreal Things: Surrealism & Design (881,000).

David Bowie Is features many of the singer's original costumes

Geoff Marsh, co-curator of David Bowie Is, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the exhibition has been seen by so many people worldwide.

"It's been an amazing journey to go from our first visits to the archive to transporting the exhibition to its ninth venue in Tokyo."

The show became the V&A's fastest-selling show when it opened in March 2013, and the museum stayed open late on many evenings to cope with demand.