Iconic items from Prince's purple reign head to London's O2

The ruffled shirt and shiny purple coat will hardly need a label on the display case: some of the most instantly recognisable and dashing stage outfits, created for Prince on legendary tours including Purple Rain in 1984 and LoveSexy in 1988, are leaving his vast archives at Paisley Park for the first time since his death, and coming to the O2 in London.

The exhibition, including several of his customised guitars, jewellery and stage costumes, will be in the same venue where Prince played a sold-out run of 21 concerts as part of the Earth tour in 2007, a still unbroken record.

The concert included a string of his greatest hits, including Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret and Little Red Corvette: he announced that it would be the last time he played them, which turned out not to be true. The exhibition, like the shows, will run for 21 days, from 27 October.

Prince died of an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers in 2016, aged 57, leaving a fortune in property, royalties from worldwide sales of more than 100m tracks, unreleased recordings and the comprehensive archive kept at Paisley Park, his 65,000 sq ft home, recording studios and performance venue on the outskirts of Minneapolis.

All the exhibits will be coming from Paisley Park, which since his death has become a mausoleum-cum-museum to the star, including his ashes in a crystal-studded model of the building. Angie Marchese, director of the archives, said Prince had always envisaged making the place and the collections open to the public.

The singer’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson, said the success of the concerts had made London one of his favourite places. “This is the first time we’ve taken any items out of Paisley Park … I’m so excited to be able to meet the fans and share their Prince stories and give them hugs, and have a cry with them if need be,” she said.

The guitars will include the Gibson L65 that Prince played in his first television appearance, on American Bandstand in 1980, and the orange Cloud guitar made for his 2007 Super Bowl halftime performance, as well as his gold and diamond ear clips, his “third eye” sunglasses with three lenses, and a diamond-encrusted cane topped with the squiggle symbol to which he changed his name for several years.

“I love the cane and the glasses,” Nelson said. “I love the guitars. I love, love, love the clothes, and the shoes! Every single piece that he keeps over the years becomes my favourite.”

My Name Is Prince opens at The O2, London, on 27 October. Tickets will be on sale from 25 August at 9am. www.mynameisprince.co.uk