Staging Freddie

To coincide with the V&A’s Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things display, discover the stories behind his iconic stage looks

+44 (0)20 7942 2000
  • Friday, 23 October 2026

  • V&A South Kensington

    Cromwell Road
    London, SW7 2RL
  • Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre

  • For Members

    and general public

  • Tickets cost £15.00 - £20.00

Sold out
Staging Freddie photo
Join fashion and textile designer and maker Wendy de Smet, and costume designer and stylist Diana Moseley, as they reveal the stories behind the creation of Freddie Mercury’s celebrated and iconic stage looks.

Freddie invited De Smet to make clothes for his and band member Roger Taylor’s stall on Kensington Market before she went on to design and make Freddie’s black ‘spine suit’ and ‘White Queen’ ensemble for Queen’s A Night at the Opera tour (1975–76). Moseley designed a range of costumes for Freddie in the 1980s – including the spectacular crown and cloak worn on Queen’s The Magic Tour in 1986, and the dramatic costumes for the epic Made in Heaven music video in 1985.

This talk coincides with the opening of our latest display Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things.

Please note this talk does not include a tour of the display but you will be able to see costumes on the evening in your own time.
Header image: Freddie Mercury in the Made in Heaven music video. Photography by Simon Fowler © Mercury Songs Ltd