Candy Volcano kicked off the 10th annual Philly Loves Bowie Week with a sold-out Free at Noon at Ardmore Music Hall earlier today. If you were there, you know. If you missed it, the week’s just getting started. Catch them tonight at Ardmore for the 50th anniversary of Station to Station.

Philadelphia’s connection to Bowie goes back over half a century to 1974 when David Live was recorded at the Tower Theater, Young Americans came out of Sigma Sound, and the fans who camped outside those sessions – the Sigma Kids – are still around, and still organizing this thing. What started as a few tribute shows has grown into a citywide celebration, with proceeds from many events benefiting cancer research at CHOP.

Here is how you can celebrate Bowie all week long, on the airwaves with XPN and out in the city.

Philly Loves Bowie Week 2026

Full schedule: PhillyLovesBowie.com Listen to WXPN: Ways to listen

Events

Fri, Jan 2 • 8pm

Candy Volcano at Ardmore Music Hall (50th anniversary of Station to Station) Tickets
Fri, Jan 2 • 9pm

The 8th Annual Bowie Masquerade at Johnny Brenda’s (DJ, drag, burlesque, costume contest) Tickets
Sat, Jan 3 • 7:30pm

Starman: The Bowie Tribute at City Winery Tickets
Sat, Jan 3 • 8pm

Let’s Dance! The 11th Annual Bowie Blitz at Broad Hall / Divine Lorraine (DJ Robert Drake) Info
Wed, Jan 7 • 5pm–2am

David Bowie: Side By Side listening party at 48 Record Bar Info
Thu, Jan 8 • 8pm

Bowie Quizzo at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar (hosted by Patti Brett; DJ Robert Drake) Info
Thu, Jan 8 • 8pm

Bowieoke at MilkBoy (free; arrive early) Info
Fri, Jan 9 • 6–9pm

Sound & Vision Happy Hour at The Trestle Inn (vinyl DJs; go-go dancers; $1 per drink to CHOP) Info
Fri, Jan 9 • 8pm

haZy cosmic jive at Brooklyn Bowl (plays Station to Station in full) Tickets
Fri, Jan 9 • 9pm

Bowie / Prince Dance Party at Underground Arts Tickets
Sat, Jan 10 • 8pm

A Night of Stardust: 10 Years of Bowie Remembered at Union Transfer (final edition) Tickets

WXPN on air

Sun, Jan 4 • 5–6pm

Americana Music Hour — Dan’s got the Americana covered!
Mon, Jan 5 • 12pm

Lunch Hour: “Bowie Undercover” — an hour of Bowie covers. Your favorite Bowie songs as sung by The Cure, Brandi Carlile, Nirvana, and more.
Mon, Jan 5 • 1pm

Local Pick of the Day — In The Pocket, “Young Americans”
Mon, Jan 5 • 4–7pm

WXPN Afternoons 5pm — “5 O’Clock Shadow” (a cover song followed by the original): M. Ward re-interprets and re-harmonizes “Let’s Dance.” 6pm — “Highs In The 70’s” (All Bowie Week): Bowie had tons of UK hits in the ’70s, but only 12 that charted in the US. Hear them all.
Mon, Jan 5 • 8–10pm

New Music Show — two hours of New Music to kick off 2026, including the latest from Gail Ann Dorsey, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, JJerome87 (Joe Newman from alt-J), Theo Bleak, Hudson Freeman, Mon Rovîa, and more.
Tue, Jan 6 • 12pm

Lunch Hour: “Lost in the Aughts” — our weekly rewind to the early 2000s, with Bowie in the mix, plus Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, the I Am Sam soundtrack, and more.
Tue, Jan 6 • 1pm

Local Pick of the Day — Olivia Elizabeth Basar, “Old Habits Die Hard”
Tue, Jan 6 • 4–7pm

WXPN Afternoons 5pm — “5 O’Clock Shadow” (a cover song followed by the original): more Bowie cover song shenanigans — tackling Neil Young with help from Dave Grohl? 6pm — “Highs In The 70’s”: Shall we go to Berlin, with songs from the Bowie Berlin Trilogy? Ja, das machen wir!
Tue, Jan 6 • 8–10pm

Local Show — getting into the Philly Loves Bowie Week swing with Bowie covers from In The Pocket and The Districts, plus new tunes from The Circus Hearts (playing a Philly Loves Bowie Week event later this week), Sadie Gust, Doll Spirit Vessel, Dan The Movie, and more.
Wed, Jan 7 • 12pm

Lunch Hour: “Bowie LIVE!” — live performances from David Bowie, including tunes from the new I Can’t Give Everything Away box set, plus classics from David Live (recorded in Philly), Stage, and more.
Wed, Jan 7 • 1pm

Local Pick of the Day — Dan The Movie, “Big Black Cloud”
Wed, Jan 7 • 4–8pm

WXPN Afternoons 4:30pm — “Worst Song In The World” (chosen by an XPN listener) 5pm — “5 O’Clock Shadow” (a cover song followed by the original): Bowie luvs Bruce?? 6pm — “Highs In The 70’s”: sets from three early-’70s Bowie albums not named Ziggy — The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory, and the all-covers Pinups.
Thu, Jan 8 • 12pm

Lunch Hour: “Without David Bowie, There Would Be No ____” — help us fill in the blank. Which artists have been most inspired by Bowie? We’ll play back your requests during the hour.
Thu, Jan 8 • 1pm

Local Pick of the Day — Carroll, “Rain Comes Down”
Thu, Jan 8 • 4–8pm

WXPN Afternoons 5pm — “5 O’Clock Shadow” (a cover song followed by the original): today, Bowie covered by Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone? 6pm — “Highs In The 70’s”: Bowie in Philly — digging deep into Young Americans and David Live for hits.
Fri, Jan 9 • 10am hour

Fab Four — “Bowie Meets the Beatles!”
Fri, Jan 9 • 12pm

Free at Noon — Tyler AC (from World Cafe Live) Free at Noon info
Fri, Jan 9 • 1pm

Local Pick of the Day — The Circus Hearts, “Why Should The Devil Have All the Fun?” (at 118 North tonight)
Fri, Jan 9 • 4–7pm

Funky Friday (hosted by Bruce Warren) — it’s a Philly tradition! Three big hours of vintage soul, funk, and R&B!

WXPN -