Free exhibition marking what would have been Freddie Mercury's 80th birthday, with eight of his stage looks spread across the V&A's permanent galleries.
Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things opens at the V&A South Kensington on Saturday 24 October, and it's not your usual single-room exhibition. Instead of one gallery, it's a trail of eight of Mercury's stage looks spread across the museum's permanent galleries, staged alongside the V&A's own collections of art, fashion and design. You'll find the Mercury Wing catsuit and the crown and cloak from Queen's 1986 Magic Tour among them.
The display marks what would have been Freddie Mercury's 80th birthday year, and the title comes from a 1978 quote of his: 'I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter.' That's a good way to think about how it's set up — the outfits are tucked into the museum's existing galleries rather than kept in their own space, so you'll see them alongside the V&A's wider collections of art and design.
Many of the outfits were loaned by Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée and lifelong confidante. The trail itself was created by award-winning designer Tom Piper, who also did the V&A's Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail and the poppies at the Tower of London. The header image shows Mercury in the 'Made in Heaven' music video, photographed by Simon Fowler.
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It opens on Saturday 24 October and runs until Sunday 17 January 2027, so you've got a good few months to fit it in. It's free and no ticket is required, and you'll find it at the V&A South Kensington on Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL.
