V&A to Showcase Freddie Mercury’s Iconic Costumes for His 80th Birthday
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is set to celebrate the life and style of Freddie Mercury with a new free exhibition marking what would have been the Queen frontman’s 80th birthday. Titled Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, the display will run at the V&A in South Kensington from October 24, 2026, to January 17, 2027, and will be woven through the museum’s permanent galleries rather than confined to a single exhibition space.
The exhibition has been created in collaboration with Mary Austin, Mercury’s former fiancée and close friend of over two decades, who has lent seven of the eight featured looks to the museum. Together, the pieces trace the singer’s evolving style throughout the 1970s and 1980s, offering a glimpse into how fashion shaped both his public performances and private identity.
Among the standout items on display will be the monochrome outfit Mercury wore on the cover of Queen’s 1973 debut album, the striking “Mercury Wing” catsuit designed by Wendy de Smet and worn in the Bohemian Rhapsody video, and the elaborate crown and cloak designed by Diana Mosley, which Mercury wore during his final live performance with Queen at Knebworth Park in 1986. The trail will also include a costume from the Made in Heaven music video, along with various accessories and items drawn from the singer’s personal wardrobe. Specially made mannequins will be posed throughout the display to echo Mercury’s distinctive stage presence, and installations for the six trail stops have been designed by Tom Piper.
The exhibition’s title is drawn from a remark Mercury made in 1978, when he said he liked to be surrounded by splendid things and wanted to lead a Victorian life amid exquisite clutter, a quote that captures his enduring passion for art, design and fashion.
Speaking about the project, Austin emphasised how central clothing was to Mercury’s artistry. She said the costumes and clothes being displayed at the V&A tell an important part of his story both on and off stage, describing them as never mere accessories but as essential elements of his performances, creative vision and self-expression, carefully designed to leave a lasting visual and emotional impact that continues to resonate across generations.
Kate Bailey, the V&A’s senior curator of theatre and performance, said the museum was thrilled to display Mercury’s most iconic costumes in celebration of one of the greatest performers and songwriters of all time, adding that his love of splendid things and passion for art, design and fashion would make him feel very at home in the V&A’s galleries.
A public programme of related events is also planned to run alongside the display. Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946, rose to global fame as the lead singer and a principal songwriter of Queen, penning some of the band’s most enduring hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Killer Queen,” “We Are the Champions,” “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Beyond his work with Queen, he released a solo studio album, Mr Bad Guy, in 1985, and later collaborated with Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé on the 1988 album Barcelona, scoring six UK top 10 singles as a solo artist. Mercury died in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS, at the age of 45.
The upcoming display adds to a growing body of tributes and retrospectives dedicated to Mercury’s legacy, reaffirming his lasting influence not only on music but also on fashion, performance and popular culture more broadly.
About the Author
