In pictures: Freddie Mercury would be 80, and the show goes on

Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday brought thousands of fans to Montreux, where the Queen singer spent the final years of his life and where tributes have become an annual tradition.

Fans gathered around the famous bronze statue on September 5, 2026, leaving flowers and other offerings. Many arrived in outfits drawn from Mercury’s career, including the yellow jacket from Queen’s 1986 Magic Tour, sunglasses from “The Invisible Man” and the black-and-white leggings he wore in the video for “Living On My Own.”

The Freddie Days festival has taken place every year since 2003 and has continued to grow. This year’s program included concerts and talks, including one about “Barcelona,” Mercury’s 1988 album recorded with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé.

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He would have been stunned to see that people still come from all over the world in such large numbers to celebrate. He would have loved it, he liked being idolized! Even though he would have hated being 80!

Mike Moran, who co-wrote the album with Mercury, said the singer would have been astonished to see so many people still arriving from around the world to celebrate him. “He would have been stunned to see that people still come from all over the world in such large numbers to celebrate. He would have loved it, he liked being idolized! Even though he would have hated being 80!” Moran said.

Mercury’s sister Kashmira Bulsara, his son Jamal Zook and his former assistant Peter Freestone joined the commemorations. The event also highlighted Mountain Studios, Queen’s preferred studio at the Montreux Casino, where the band recorded six albums. The site now hosts an exhibition, and it was there that “Under Pressure” emerged from an impromptu 1981 session between Queen and David Bowie.

Julie Criddle, who took part in the 1977 video shoot for “We Are the Champions,” said the crowds included many people too young to have seen Queen perform live. “There are so many people here who are not old enough to have seen Queen in concert. It’s fantastic, because it keeps Freddie’s memory alive,” she said.

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There are so many people here who are not old enough to have seen Queen in concert. It’s fantastic, because it keeps Freddie’s memory alive.