LONDON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A historic bandstand in south London where legendary British singer David Bowie performed at a famous summer festival was given official protection Friday on the 50th anniversary of the music event.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has listed the old bandstand as a protected heritage site on the advice of its Historic England department. Its official Grade 2 status will ensure that the old bandstand's survival for future generations.
It has been suggested that Bowie may have penned the lyrics to one of his global hits, Life on Mars, from the steps of the bandstand, now known locally as the Bowie Bandstand.
Bowie was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, with a career spanning nearly 50 years.
After his first hit single, Space Oddity, Bowie and his friends organized the iconic Growth Summer Festival in August 1969, aiming to raise money for a permanent base for an arts project he ran with friends.
The one-day festival was free, emulating the style of the famous 1969 American Woodstock festival.
"The bandstand was the centerpiece of the day and the stage from which the young Bowie performed to an audience of a few hundred people. Thought to be the first of its kind in Britain, the festival inspired Bowie to write Memory of a Free Festival, a seven minute song for his second album released later that same year, in homage to the day," a DCMS spokeswoman said.
The first bandstands in England were built in the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens in Kensington, London, which opened in 1861. They were built to be a focus for music, serving as a venue for regular concerts, and became widespread by the end of the 19th century.
The Bowie Bandstand, built in 1905, is in a recreation ground in Beckenham which opened six years earlier.
"David Bowie is a cultural icon and 50 years on from his performance at the 'Bowie Bandstand' in Beckenham it is right that we remember his influence on music and culture in this way," Heritage Minister Rebecca Pow said.
Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England said: "Walking past this typical yet characterful bandstand, you probably wouldn't expect it was once the stage for a young man who would become one of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century."
"It is a rare survival from a historic iron foundry in its own right, but its significance as a site that inspired David Bowie shows us how powerful our historic places can be and how important it is that we protect them so they will continue to inspire people for years to come."
The site in Beckenham has played host to a one day festival in August for many years since the original event in 1969. This year's festival, known as Bowie's Beckenham Oddity, takes place Saturday. Bowie died in 2016 at the age of 69.
