Freddie Mercury Costumes Exhibition Opens at V&A in October 2026
From 24 October 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London will showcase eight costumes from Freddie Mercury's collection, aligning with what would have been his 80th birthday. The exhibition, titled Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, is free to the public and includes seven outfits provided by Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée. Notable pieces on display comprise the outfit featured on Queen's debut album cover, the "Mercury Wing" catsuit from the A Night at the Opera tour, and the crown-and-cape ensemble from the 1986 Magic Tour. Curated by Tom Piper, the exhibit celebrates Mercury's passion for art and fashion. Mercury and Austin's relationship began in Kensington and continued until his passing in 1991.
Key facts
- Eight costumes from Freddie Mercury's personal collection will be shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
- The free exhibition Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things runs from 24 October 2026 to 17 January 2027.
- The show marks the 80th anniversary of Mercury's birth, which would have fallen in 2026.
- Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée, lends seven of the eight outfits.
- The "Mercury Wing" catsuit was designed by Wendy de Smet and worn on the 1975–1976 A Night at the Opera tour and in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video.
- Diana Moseley designed the crown-and-cape look for the 1986 Magic Tour, worn at Queen's final show at Knebworth.
- Tom Piper, who worked on Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser and Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail at the V&A, stages the exhibition.
- Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara on 5 September 1946 in Zanzibar, left Austin his Kensington home, Garden Lodge, after his death in 1991.
Entities
Artists
- Freddie Mercury
- Mary Austin
- Wendy de Smet
- Diana Moseley
- Tom Piper
- Kate Bailey
- Farrokh Bulsara
Institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Queen
- Royal Shakespeare Company
- Kensington Market
- Dasartes
- Tower of London
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Knebworth
- Kensington
- Zanzibar
- Tanzania
- South Kensington
Sources
- Dasartes —
- FAD Magazine —