{"id":2374084,"date":"2026-04-15T09:23:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2374084"},"modified":"2026-04-15T09:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:23:58","slug":"stormzys-glastonbury-vest-headlines-new-va-east-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/stormzys-glastonbury-vest-headlines-new-va-east-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Stormzy\u2019s Glastonbury vest headlines new V&#038;A East exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-f137bbed-8fb2-44aa-9a5b-7b405a2fc705\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortlist.com\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.shortlist.com\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.shortlist.com\/\">London\u2019s<\/a> newest museum space is opening with a powerful statement on music, culture and identity, and it\u2019s doing so with one of the most iconic artefacts in modern British music right at its centre.<\/p>\n<p>At V&amp;A East, the debut exhibition The Music Is Black: A British Story charts 125 years of Black British music, tracing how sounds from across Africa and the Caribbean helped shape everything from jazz and reggae to grime and garage.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-f137bbed-8fb2-44aa-9a5b-7b405a2fc705-2\">It\u2019s a sweeping, deeply considered show, but one object in particular is already grabbing attention: the stab-proof vest worn by Stormzy during his landmark Glastonbury Festival headline set.<\/p>\n<p>Designed by Banksy and emblazoned with the Union Jack, the vest has become a symbol of a defining moment in British music history. When Stormzy became the first Black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury in 2019, the performance wasn\u2019t just about music; it was a pointed, political statement about race, identity and violence in the UK. Placing the vest towards the end of the exhibition, curators use it to underline how Black music in Britain has consistently confronted uncomfortable truths while pushing culture forward.<\/p>\n<p>Curated by Jacqueline Springer, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey that starts long before grime. It explores how genres like jazz and blues evolved from gospel traditions before crossing continents, eventually laying the foundations for modern popular music in both the US and Europe. From there, the show maps how those influences were reinterpreted in Britain, giving rise to distinctly homegrown movements like Two Tone, trip hop and UK garage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"elk-20lzYxDt9Qw\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-20lzYxDt9Qw\" data-yt-video-token=\"20lzYxDt9Qw\" title=\"Banksy - Stormzy backstage at Glastonbury (July 24, 2019) - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">Banksy &#8211; Stormzy backstage at Glastonbury (July 24, 2019) &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 4.903 56.85C7.6 149.68 15.553 157.681 25.65 160.4c18.3 4.934 91.682 4.934 91.682 4.934s73.383 0 91.682-4.934c10.098-2.718 18.049-10.72 20.748-20.882 4.904-18.421 4.904-56.85 4.904-56.85s0-38.431-4.904-56.85\"\/><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"m93.333 117.559 61.333-34.89-61.333-34.894z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"watch-on-youtube-20lzYxDt9Qw\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/20lzYxDt9Qw\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/20lzYxDt9Qw\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\">Watch On <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"youtube-logo\" viewbox=\"0 0 507.9 113.39\"><g fill=\"#fff\"><path d=\"M64.792 80.99V32.396l42.082 24.297zm93.803-63.285a20.285 20.285 0 0 0-14.32-14.32C131.642 0 80.99 0 80.99 0S30.337 0 17.705 3.385a20.286 20.286 0 0 0-14.32 14.32C0 30.338 0 56.693 0 56.693S0 83.049 3.385 95.68A20.285 20.285 0 0 0 17.705 110c12.632 3.386 63.285 3.386 63.285 3.386s50.652 0 63.285-3.386a20.284 20.284 0 0 0 14.32-14.32c3.385-12.632 3.385-38.988 3.385-38.988s0-26.355-3.385-38.988m94.473 74.326c.887-2.314 1.332-6.098 1.332-11.35V58.556c0-5.097-.445-8.822-1.332-11.178-.888-2.355-2.452-3.533-4.69-3.533-2.163 0-3.69 1.178-4.577 3.533-.888 2.356-1.332 6.081-1.332 11.178V80.68c0 5.25.424 9.035 1.275 11.35.848 2.318 2.392 3.475 4.633 3.475 2.239 0 3.803-1.157 4.691-3.475zm-17.953 11.122c-3.207-2.16-5.486-5.52-6.835-10.079-1.352-4.554-2.027-10.617-2.027-18.185v-10.31c0-7.644.771-13.784 2.316-18.417 1.544-4.633 3.956-8.011 7.24-10.135 3.282-2.123 7.587-3.186 12.916-3.186 5.251 0 9.459 1.082 12.626 3.243 3.165 2.162 5.482 5.542 6.95 10.136 1.466 4.595 2.2 10.715 2.2 18.36v10.31c0 7.567-.714 13.65-2.142 18.243-1.43 4.595-3.747 7.955-6.951 10.077-3.205 2.124-7.548 3.186-13.03 3.186-5.64 0-10.06-1.082-13.263-3.243m248.053-57.981c-.81 1.005-1.352 2.646-1.621 4.923-.272 2.278-.404 5.734-.404 10.367v5.097h11.697V60.46c0-4.555-.155-8.011-.463-10.367-.309-2.355-.868-4.014-1.678-4.98-.812-.966-2.067-1.449-3.766-1.449-1.7 0-2.954.503-3.765 1.506zm-2.025 29.886v3.591c0 4.557.132 7.974.404 10.251.269 2.279.828 3.94 1.68 4.982.849 1.041 2.16 1.564 3.938 1.564 2.392 0 4.035-.927 4.923-2.781.887-1.853 1.37-4.942 1.447-9.268l13.785.812c.077.62.116 1.469.116 2.548 0 6.565-1.795 11.47-5.387 14.712-3.589 3.242-8.669 4.865-15.232 4.865-7.876 0-13.398-2.47-16.564-7.414-3.168-4.94-4.75-12.586-4.75-22.935V63.589c0-10.657 1.641-18.436 4.924-23.342 3.281-4.903 8.9-7.355 16.854-7.355 5.482 0 9.691 1.004 12.626 3.012 2.933 2.01 5 5.137 6.197 9.383 1.197 4.247 1.796 10.117 1.796 17.607v12.163h-26.757m-284.953-1.33-18.187-65.68h15.869l6.37 29.77c1.623 7.339 2.82 13.594 3.591 18.766h.464c.54-3.706 1.738-9.922 3.591-18.65l6.603-29.886h15.869l-18.417 65.68v31.51h-15.754v-31.51M322.115 34.23v71.007h-12.511l-1.39-8.688h-.347c-3.399 6.564-8.496 9.845-15.291 9.845-4.71 0-8.185-1.543-10.425-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.359-7.915-3.359-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.348 5.426 1.043 6.776.695 1.353 1.853 2.027 3.475 2.027 1.39 0 2.722-.423 3.996-1.275 1.274-.849 2.22-1.928 2.838-3.241V34.229h15.986m81.995.001v71.007h-12.511l-1.391-8.688h-.345c-3.402 6.564-8.498 9.845-15.292 9.845-4.711 0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-c3e60480-5b8a-4e76-a458-f6cedaa4124a\">Along the way, there are some striking artefacts. A battered upright piano belonging to Winifred Atwell, covered in graffiti left by fans, tells the story of the first Black artist to score a UK number one single. Elsewhere, handwritten lyrics from Michael Jackson, stage outfits from Seal and Poly Styrene, and a childhood guitar belonging to Joan Armatrading all help paint a picture of influence that stretches across generations.<\/p>\n<p>The exhibition also digs into the UK\u2019s reggae roots, spotlighting bands like Aswad and the wider Windrush generation, showing how their experiences in Britain shaped entirely new sounds. Those foundations, the show argues, directly led to the explosion of genres like drum and bass, jungle and grime, movements that now define British music globally.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-DAZMrB25Qh89ToJ4movG4U\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-DAZMrB25Qh89ToJ4movG4U slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Get exclusive shortlists, celebrity interviews and the best deals on the products you care about, straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s a strong interactive element too. Visitors are given responsive headsets that adapt as you move through the space, effectively creating a personalised soundtrack that evolves from early jazz clubs through to pirate radio and modern club scenes. It\u2019s a smart way of reinforcing the exhibition\u2019s core idea: that Black music isn\u2019t a side note in British culture, it\u2019s the backbone of it.<\/p>\n<p>That point is backed by industry data cited in the exhibition, which highlights how Black music has driven a significant share of the UK music industry\u2019s economic success over the past few decades. But more importantly, the show focuses on the human stories behind that influence, the artists who created, innovated and often fought to be heard.<\/p>\n<p>By the time you reach Stormzy\u2019s vest, the context is clear. It isn\u2019t just a piece of stagewear; it\u2019s part of a much longer story about protest, creativity and cultural identity in Britain.<\/p>\n<p>As opening statements go, it\u2019s a strong one, setting the tone for what the Victoria and Albert Museum clearly hopes will be a landmark new space for East London.<\/p>\n<p><em>You can check out the new exhibition, Music Is Black: A British Story, when it opens at the <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/east?srsltid=AfmBOor-7U857khvEY_ngE0UdrOqWGQF6neF2vrTCdnAWXkrilDCkpaY\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/east?srsltid=AfmBOor-7U857khvEY_ngE0UdrOqWGQF6neF2vrTCdnAWXkrilDCkpaY\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em><strong>V&amp;A East Museum<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em> on Saturday, 18th of April.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-4e6f0cec-bdba-4c4f-8c2e-10e4ea206756\"\/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5vYjNKMGJHbHpkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-37d0ad33-832f-4f5b-833d-081c79a0bf0c\" data-url=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5vYjNKMGJHbHpkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout pull-left\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:661px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:29.95%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-415-80.jpg.webp 415w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-360-80.jpg.webp 360w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 710px) 670px, calc(100vw - 30px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn.jpg\" alt=\"Shortlist Google Preferred Source\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-661-80.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-415-80.jpg 415w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-360-80.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 710px) 670px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iCwnnPjWUTtczNTGFwMtbn.jpg\" class=\"pull-left\"\/><br \/>\n<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Skip the search \u2014 <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5vYjNKMGJHbHpkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5vYjNKMGJHbHpkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em><strong>follow Shortlist on Google News<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em> to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-279ad6a2-1c67-4f59-b1af-3fc508a16c91\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.shortlist.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>London\u2019s newest museum space is opening with a powerful statement on music, culture and identity, and it\u2019s doing so with one of the most iconic artefacts in modern British music right at its centre. At V&amp;A East, the debut exhibition The Music Is Black: A British Story charts 125 years of Black British music, tracing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2374085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2374084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Stormzys-Glastonbury-vest-headlines-new-VA-East-exhibition.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2374084"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2374086,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374084\/revisions\/2374086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2374085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2374084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2374084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2374084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}