The Victoria and Albert Museum got into pop some 20 years ago – and it was more than a passing phase. After ‘Kylie’ in 2007, ‘David Bowie Is’ in 2013 and the Taylor Swift ‘Songbook Trail’ in 2024, the institution is paying tribute to Freddie Mercury by presenting eight of his stage outfits from the 1970s and ’80s (24 October–17 January 2027). The display, which marks what would have been his 80th birthday, primarily comprises loans from Mercury’s confidante and former fiancée Mary Austin, and includes a monochrome outfit for an early Queen concert at Imperial College London; the catsuit Mercury wore in the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ music video; and the crown and cloak, designed by Diana Moseley, that he wore at Knebworth for his final stage appearance with Queen. The costumes are dispersed throughout the South Kensington site, surrounded by items from the permanent collection. What better way to celebrate a man who once declared, ‘I like to be surrounded by splendid things.’
Find out more from the V&A’s website
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