LONDON — One of rock's most flamboyant wardrobes comes to the museum this weekend: “Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things” opens at the V&A South Kensington on Saturday, October 24, 2026, a free costume trail that follows eight of the Queen frontman's most iconic looks through the museum's galleries until January 17, 2027.
The display arrives in what would have been Mercury's 80th year, and it treats his clothes not as memorabilia but as the point. Seven of the eight looks are lent by Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée, friend and confidante, who worked closely with the museum on the trail. Theatrical installations by designer Tom Piper, with specially posed mannequins and dramatic settings, stage each costume as a moment in a career built on spectacle.
Illustration: A stage costume displayed in a museum gallery, in the style of the V&A trail.
What Happened
The V&A lists “Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things” as opening on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at its South Kensington site, with free admission and no ticket required, according to the museum's listings and coverage of the opening. Rather than a single exhibition room, the display is arranged as a trail of six stops winding through the galleries, so visitors encounter Mercury's costumes in dialogue with the museum's wider collections of art, design and fashion.
Kate Bailey, the V&A's senior curator of theatre and performance, said in the museum's announcement: “We are thrilled to display Freddie's most iconic costumes at the V&A, celebrating one of the 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 said the clothes tell a hugely important part of Mercury's story both on and off stage. “Never mere accoutrements, his costumes and clothes were essential to his performances, creative vision, and wider self-expression, carefully designed to create a lasting visual and emotional impact that has reached across the generations and still reverberates today,” she said.
Background
Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, fronted Queen from 1970 until his death in 1991, and his stagecraft became inseparable from the band's music. He understood, earlier than most rock stars, that a costume could do the work of a chorus: it could signal a new era, a new sound or a new dare to the audience.
The trail's highlights trace that arc. They include the monochrome outfit associated with Queen's 1973 debut album cover; the Mercury Wing catsuit designed by Wendy de Smet and worn in the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video; and the crown and cloak designed by Diana Moseley for the 1986 Magic Tour. A costume from the “Made in Heaven” video brings Mercury's solo work into the story, while accessories and personal wardrobe pieces add a quieter, off-stage perspective alongside the major stage looks.
The V&A is a natural home for the project. The museum has a long history of staging popular-culture trails through its galleries — Piper previously designed the museum's Taylor Swift songbook trail — and its theatre and performance collections already treat costume as a serious art form rather than a souvenir.
Illustration: A crown and cloak display evoking Freddie Mercury's 1986 Magic Tour look.
Why It Matters
First, access. A free, unticketed display in one of London's most visited museums lowers every barrier: no booking, no fee, no single room to queue for. Families, casual visitors and lifelong Queen fans can stumble on a piece of music history between galleries devoted to ceramics, fashion and design — which is, arguably, the point. Mercury's costumes belong in a design museum because they were designed, deliberately and brilliantly, to be looked at.
Second, timing. Opening in Mercury's 80th year, the trail invites a new generation to meet a performer they know mostly through recordings and a celebrated biographical film. Seeing the actual scale, stitching and swagger of a stage costume — the winged catsuit, the weight of a velvet cloak — communicates something a screen cannot: how much physical theatre went into every performance.
Third, the trail format itself. By scattering six stops through the museum rather than isolating the costumes in one gallery, the V&A asks visitors to see connections: between pop performance and couture, between stage design and fine art, between a rock star's wardrobe and the centuries of craft surrounding it. It is a quiet argument that popular culture is culture, full stop.
What Happens Next
“Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things” runs at V&A South Kensington from October 24, 2026, until January 17, 2027, giving visitors well beyond opening weekend time to plan a visit. The museum advises checking its current visitor information before travelling, as gallery arrangements can change.
For London's autumn cultural calendar, the trail joins a busy season of free and low-cost exhibitions, from Diwali celebrations at Trafalgar Square on October 25 to new displays at the Science Museum and Guildhall Art Gallery. But few will draw the same cross-generational crowd: parents who saw Queen live, children who discovered them through streaming, and design lovers who simply want to see how a great performer dressed for immortality.
Mercury once said he wanted to be remembered for splendid things. For the next three months, in one of the world's great museums, visitors can judge for themselves — free of charge, and up close.
Illustration: Visitors exploring a London museum during a free exhibition.
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FAQ
What is “Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things”?
It is a free costume trail at the V&A South Kensington displaying eight of Freddie Mercury's most iconic looks across six stops in the museum's galleries.
When does it open and how long does it run?
It opens on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and runs until January 17, 2027.
Do visitors need a ticket?
No. Admission to the trail is free and no ticket is required, according to coverage of the opening, though visitors should check the museum's current visitor information before travelling.
Which costumes are included?
Highlights announced for the trail include the monochrome outfit linked to Queen's 1973 debut album cover, Wendy de Smet's Mercury Wing catsuit from the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video, the crown and cloak designed by Diana Moseley for the 1986 Magic Tour, and a costume from the “Made in Heaven” video.
Who lent the costumes?
Seven of the eight looks were lent by Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée, friend and confidante, who worked closely with the V&A on the display. Theatrical installations are by designer Tom Piper.
Sources
- V&A, “What's On” listings, October 24, 2026: “Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things — Opens Saturday, 24 October 2026, V&A South Kensington.”
- Secret London, “A free Freddie Mercury exhibition is landing at the V&A this weekend,” August 26, 2026, updated October 19, 2026.
- Galerie Magazine, “Freddie Mercury's ‘Splendid Things’ Rock the Victoria & Albert Museum,” October 2026.
- Energy Radio, “Freddie Mercury at the V&A: free London costume trail,” October 2026.
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