Street named after David Bowie officially opens in Paris

A street in Paris named after David Bowie has officially opened on what would have been the late icon’s 77th birthday.

• READ MORE: David Bowie’s earliest years – as told by the people who knew him best

News that the French capital would be naming a street after him was first shared back in 2020, when Mayor Jérôme Coumet – a professed fan of Bowie – revealed that he was planning the move.

Last week it was confirmed that it would officially open on his birthday (January 8) and yesterday Paris honoured Bowie by unveiling the new street – The Rue David Bowie – which also featured his year of birth and death. You can view the unveiling below.

It is situated between two modern office buildings, including the headquarters of news publications Le Monde and L’Obs and opens onto Avenue Pierre-Mendes-France and will connect to the future bridge linking the avenue to Boulevard de l’Hopital, near Austerlitz train station and Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital.

Rue David Bowie unveiled in the 13th in Paris. It’s near Gare d’Austerlitz. It’ll be a must see destination for the millions that visit Paris every year. It’ll be a reason to visit for millions of others. #RueDavidBowie #Paris 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/ANIe2aAzVq

— Nick O’Donnell (@gnickodonnell) January 8, 2024

Paris a désormais sa rue David Bowie.

Découvrez les secrets de l’odonymie dans la capitale.https://t.co/dTOsRCeWGc pic.twitter.com/c5YyQ0EXvB

— Rédaction de France Culture (@FC_actu) January 8, 2024

The tribute celebrates Bowie’s first Paris performance in 1965 – his first outside the United Kingdom – and his lasting impact on music, fashion choices, theatrical aura, and popular culture.

An inauguration party was also held at Salle des Fetes that same day to celebrate the launch, and a variety of photographs and paintings related to the singer will be showcased at the Galerie Athéna until January 14.

While the UK does not yet have a street named after the late music legend, his birthplace of Brixton does have a famous mural of the singer, painted by Australian artist James Cochran.

Bowie died in 2016, following a battle with cancer.

Meanwhile, Wilco also shared a cover of Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ on the late icon’s birthday.

Another release announced to mark Bowie’s birthday is a new ‘Ziggy Stardust’- era album set to be released on Record Store Day this year.

‘Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth)’ is a collection of recordings from Trident Studios in 1971, and features the majority of songs that would go on to form the legendary ‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ album.

Included on the new album but not on ‘Ziggy Stardust’ are four songs including a cover of Chuck Berry‘s ‘Round And Round’.