Freddie Mercury exhibition opens at Sotheby's

It includes his baby grand piano

Freddie Mercury exhibition
Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 4th Aug 2023
Last updated 4th Aug 2023

An exhibition of Freddie Mercury's items, including his treasured baby grand piano are now on display, for free, at Sotheby's in London.

The whole 16,000 square foot gallery space in New Bond Street has been taken over by Freddie's possessions, from costumes to hand-written lyrics, drawings, furniture, and decorative and fine art.

Freddie Mercury exhibition

Starting on 4th August, the exhibition will continue until 5th September, which would have been Freddie's birthday.

At the heart of this extensive exhibition is Freddie's Yamaha G2 Baby Grand Piano, which has been estimated at £2-3 million.

Freddie Mercury exhibition

By 1975, Freddie's trusty upright piano (used for Queen's first three albums), needed to be replaced. After weeks of searching, Freddie found this baby grand piano, which would fit in the apartment he shared with Mary Austin at the time.

Speaking about the piano, Mary said: "Freddie treated the Yamaha with absolute respect. He considered it to be more than an instrument, it was an extension of himself, his vehicle of creativity. He would never smoke at the piano or rest a glass on top of it and would ensure nobody else did either. The piano was always pristine."

The piano was used to develop the hugely popular 'Bohemian Rhapsody', right up to his final song 'Barcelona'.

Fans can visit the exhibition for free over the coming month at the following times, Monday - Friday, 11am – 4.30pm and Saturday/Sunday and Bank Holidays 12pm – 5pm.

On Friday 1st September the exhibition will remain open until 7pm, and on Tuesday 5th September it will close at 1pm.

You can hear songs by Queen on Greatest Hits Radio.

Take a look at Freddie Mercury's life in pictures:

Freddie Mercury's early years

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in Stone Town in the British protectorate of Zanzibar on 5th September 1946. Here's Freddie as a baby. His parents, Bomi (1908–2003) and Jer Bulsara (1922–2016) were from western India.

Freddie Mercury's childhood

Freddie Mercury spent much of his childhood in India and attended St. Peter's School from the age of 8. Pictured is Freddie at St Peter's in 1958.

Freddie Mercury's childhood home

In 1964, Freddie Mercury and his family fled to England from Zanzibar to escape the violence of the revolution. They lived at two properties in Feltham, Middlesex before eventually settling at 22 Gladstone Avenue. Pictured is Brian May and Freddie's sister Kashmira Cooke at the property when a blue plaque was unveiled in September 2016.

Freddie Mercury at Ealing Art College

Freddie at Ealing Art College in London in 1969. He earned a diploma in Art and Graphic Design.

Freddie Mercury in 1969

Freddie Mercury in Kensington, West London in August 1969. Prior to fame he worked as a market stall trader in the now-demolished Kensington Market in London.

Freddie Mercury with band Ibex

Freddie Mercury (left) on the road in St Helens, Merseyside with the short-lived Liverpool band Ibex. When they failed to take off, he joined another band called Sour Milk Sea but by early 1970 they had split too

Freddie Mercury in early 1970s

Although famously shy, Freddie Mercury was an extrovert on stage. Here he is wearing a typically flamboyant outfit on stage in the early 1970s

Queen in 1973

Queen's Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon photoshoot in London in 1973.

Freddie Mercury in 1973

Freddie Mercury in 1973.

Freddie Mercury in rehearsals

Freddie Mercury rehearses for Queen's first major tour on 9th July 1973

Freddie Mercury in London in 1973

Freddie Mercury in London in August 1973.

Queen accept gold disc for debut album

Queen are presented with a gold disc for their eponymous debut album 'Queen' in Tokyo, 1974

Queen in 1974

Queen arrive back from their successful Australian tour in 1974.

Freddie Mercury in 1976

Freddie Mercury at Heathrow airport in January 1976 ahead of Queen's USA tour

Queen before receiving British Phonographic Institute awards

Queen in London, September 1976, to receive a British Phonographic Institute Platinum, Gold and Silver award for record sales.

Freddie Mercury at Madison Square Garden in 1977

Freddie Mercury in his imperious live prime at Madison Square Garden in January 1977.

Queen at Earls Court in 1977

Queen at Earls Court in London, June 1977.

Queen in 1978.

Queen looking cool in 1978.

Freddie Mercury in Paris in 1979

Freddie Mercury in his element, live in Paris in 1979.

Freddie Mercury in California in 1982

Freddie Mercury performing live in Oakland, California in 1982.

Freddie Mercury at Live Aid in 1985

Freddie Mercury during Queen's legendary Live Aid performance at Wembley in 1985. It's widely regarded as one of the finest concert performances of all time.

Freddie Mercury at Live Aid with Paul McCartney, Bono and David Bowie

Freddie Mercury performing with Paul McCartney, Bono, David Bowie and more at Live Aid, 1985.

Freddie Mercury in Sydney in 1985

Freddie Mercury on stage in Sydney in 1985.

Queen in 1985

Queen pose for a portrait in 1985.

Freddie Mercury and Anita Dobson in 1988

Freddie Mercury with Brian May's second wife Anita Dobson in 1988.

Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballe in 1988

Freddie and Monserrat Caballe perform 'Barcelona' at Barcelona's Montjuich park, to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic flag from Seoul, October 1988

Queen in 1989

Queen pose together in smart attire in 1989.

Queen at The BRIT Awards 1990

Freddie Mercury's appearance at The BRIT Awards in February 1990 was his last public appearance.

Flowers left outside Freddie's home after his death

Fans leave flowers outside Freddie's London home on 24th November 1991 – the day of his untimely death aged 45.

Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux

The iconic Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva in Montreux. Standing three metres high, the Irena Sedlecka sculpture was unveiled five years after Freddie's death by Montserrat Caballé and Freddie's mother Jer.

Freddie Mercury exhibition at Sotheby's

In 2023 Freddie Mercury's closest friend Mary Austin (to whom Freddie left half of his £75 million estate) announced that she was finally selling his life's possessions, which had been stored in his Kensington mansion since his death. Before the auction, Sotheby's displayed the 1,500 items at an exhibition in London, with members of the public able to view Freddie's outfits, artworks, lyric sheets, instruments, furniture and more.

Now read:

Freddie Mercury's 1,500 item private collection to be exhibited ahead of auction

Unearthed Freddie Mercury lyric sheets reveal original title of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

Freddie Mercury's 'tightest' leather hotpants he wore at 1980 Queen concert up for auction

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