V&A to Open Free Freddie Mercury ‘Splendid Things’ Costume Trail in October

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London will present a free exhibition trail called “Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things” from 24 October 2026 through 17 January 2027. The display gathers eight costumes worn by the Queen frontman across his career and was put together with input from his former fiancee, Mary Austin.

The timing lines up with what would have been Mercury’s 80th birthday. He was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5 September 1946 in Zanzibar. Austin herself is lending seven of the eight looks that will be on view.

• Trail dates: 24 October 2026 to 17 January 2027 at the V&A in London
• Eight costumes on display, spanning the 1970s to Mercury’s later years
• Mary Austin is loaning seven of the pieces
• The trail has six stops, each staged with its own set, sound, and lighting design

Which Freddie Mercury Costumes Will Be on Display?

One highlight is a black-and-white outfit Mercury wore at an early Queen show at Imperial College, the same look that appears on the cover of the band’s self-titled 1973 debut album. Visitors will also see the “Mercury Wing” catsuit designed by Wendy de Smet, which Mercury wore on the 1975-76 A Night at the Opera tour and again in the Bohemian Rhapsody video.

The trail includes the crown and cloak designed by Diana Moseley that Mercury wore during Queen’s 1986 Magic Tour, the same outfit he had on for the band’s last-ever live show together at Knebworth that year. A costume from the Made in Heaven video is also part of the collection, alongside accessories and pieces pulled from Mercury’s own wardrobe.

Where Does the Trail’s Title Come From?

The exhibition’s name draws on something Mercury said in 1978: “I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter.” That sentiment shapes the six individual stops along the trail, each built around a different moment from his time on stage using its own combination of set design, sound, and lighting. The installations come from designer Tom Piper, whose past projects include work for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London, the V&A’s own Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition, and the Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail.

Mary Austin’s Connection to Freddie Mercury

Austin and Mercury met when she was 19 and he was 24, both moving in the same circle tied to Kensington’s Biba fashion scene at the time. The pair got engaged on Christmas Day in 1973. Their romance did not last beyond the mid-1970s, but the two stayed close for the rest of Mercury’s life, and when he died in 1991 he left Austin his Kensington house, Garden Lodge, along with his belongings.

More Info

• Freddie Mercury’s ‘splendid things’ to go on display at V&A | theguardian.com
• V&A announces Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, with 8 looks from the artist | blooloop.com