The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington have announced the exhibition titled Splendid Things, which will feature eight looks from the artist’s career and will be on display from 24 October 2026 – 17 January 2027.
This free entrance show celebrates the eightieth year of Freddie Mercury’s birth and will feature the private collection of Mercury’s former fiancée Mary Austin.
There are six stops which highlight key moments in Mercury’s career and put a spotlight on the charisma and showmanship of the artist.
The looks are from the 1970s and 1980s and feature a Mercury Wing catsuit designed by Wendy de Smet, which was worn for the Night of the Opera tour from 1975 to 1976.
Other items on display include artifacts from his personal wardrobe, giving a glimpse into who the artist was behind his image.
Kate Bailey, Senior Curator of Theatre and Performance at the V&A said: ‘We are thrilled to display Freddie’s most iconic costumes at the V&A, celebrating one of greatest performers and songwriters of all time. Reflecting his love of ‘splendid things’ and his passion for art, design and fashion, Freddie will be very at home in the V&A galleries.’
Mary Austin explains that Freddie Mercury’s striking costumes were an integral, and carefully considered, part of his stage persona: ‘As the records became more successful and the response grew stronger, his confidence deepened and his performance settled. What I saw now was an artist continuously developing while the seed of who he was stayed intact. The clothes were part of that exploration. Freddie understood early on that he wasn’t just wearing clothes; he was providing an image to match the scale of the space and the vastness of the crowd. He was there to entertain, and everything about what he wore fed into that’ (Mary Austin quoted in “A Life in Lyrics” published by HarperCollins on September 1, 2026).
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