Freddie Mercury, from Queen, understood that performance began long before the first note was sung. Clothes, movement, lighting and spectacle were all part of the language he used to transform a concert into theatre. This autumn, the V&A South Kensington will bring some of his most extraordinary stage looks together for Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, a free trail celebrating what would have been the Queen frontman’s 80th birthday.

Developed with the support of Mary Austin, Mercury’s closest friend and former fiancée, the presentation takes its title from his 1978 declaration: “I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter.” The phrase offers an apt entry point into Mercury’s world, one defined by excess, theatricality, fantasy and an instinctive understanding of visual impact.

Seven of Mercury’s costumes, loaned by Austin, will be displayed across six installations throughout the museum. Rather than presenting the clothes as static objects, the V&A will place them within theatrical environments incorporating sound, light and set design, evoking the atmosphere of the performances for which they were created. That’s very exciting!

The trail follows Mercury’s career from Queen’s early university performances through to the band’s most celebrated stadium shows and his work as a solo artist. Among the pieces on display is a monochrome ensemble worn during an early Queen performance at Imperial College, alongside the celebrated ‘Mercury Wing’ catsuit worn during the A Night at the Opera tour and featured in the Bohemian Rhapsody music video.

One of the most spectacular pieces is Mercury’s crown and cloak from the 1986 Magic Tour, also worn during Queen’s final live appearance with the singer at Knebworth. Accessories from his personal collection will further illuminate the relationship between Mercury’s public persona and his private world.

For Mercury, clothing was never secondary to the music. His costumes were carefully conceived to communicate across enormous spaces, amplifying his physical presence and creating an image that could match the scale of the audience. Mary Austin reflects on this in her forthcoming book A Life in Lyrics, describing how he understood that he was not simply dressing for a performance but creating an image capable of becoming part of its mythology.

That understanding is central to Splendid Things. The exhibition presents Mercury’s wardrobe not merely as a collection of flamboyant garments, but as an essential part of his creative practice, a visual vocabulary through which he explored identity and self-expression.

Decades after Mercury first stepped onto the stage in these extraordinary clothes, their theatrical power remains unmistakable (that yellow jacket!).

Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things will be on view at the V&A South Kensington in London from October 24, 2026, to January 17, 2027, with free admission.

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Image: Photograph: Denis O’ReganFreddie on the Magic tour 1986