It’s a kind of magic: Eight outfits worn by musician and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury go on show in a free display at the V&A South Kensington this autumn.
Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things marks what would have been the singer’s 80th birthday by showcasing some of his looks from the 1970s-80s, spanning both his time in Queen and his solo career.
Similar to the museum’s 2024 Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail, the display is spread throughout the building. The trail has six stops, each showcasing a different high of Mercury’s career within a dramatic setting in the museum’s galleries — specially-placed mannequins posed to channel Mercury’s stage presence.
The outfits on display — seven of which have been loaned by Mary Austin, Mercury’s former fiancée and confidante of 20 years — include:
👑 A monochrome outfit which Queen fans may recognise from the cover of the band’s 1973 debut album. Mercury also wore it at an early Queen gig at Imperial College here in London.
👑 The Mercury Wing catsuit, designed by Wendy de Smet, made famous in the Bohemian Rhapsody video, also worn by Mercury during the 1975-6 Night At The Opera tour.
👑 The crown and cloak designed by Diana Moseley, worn on the Magic tour, including Mercury’s last appearance with Queen, on stage at Knebworth in 1986.
👑 The costume worn by Mercury in the Made in Heaven music video during his solo career away from Queen.
Accessories and items from Mercury’s personal wardrobe are also on display, offering an insight into the man he was off stage, and away from the spotlight.
Designer Tom Piper — who worked on the Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail, as well as the Tower of London poppies — is the creative force behind the display.
Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things is at the V&A South Kensington, 24 October 2026-17 January 2027.
