LONDON.- Wembley Park, the world-famous north west London neighbourhood surrounding the National Stadium, has revealed a brand-new artistic tribute to one of the world’s greatest music legends, Freddie Mercury, to mark what would have been the British singer-songwriter’s 80th birthday on Saturday 5th September.
The anamorphic mural, hand-sprayed and applied to vinyl, I’m Mr. Mercury, created by renowned British street artist Frank Styles, transforms Wembley Park’s Spanish Steps, the key pedestrian link between two of the UK’s most iconic live venues – Wembley Stadium and OVO Arena Wembley, formerly Wembley Arena – where band frontman Mercury performed multiple times with Queen.
Taking centre stage across the Spanish Steps, the bespoke mural comprises an iconic monochromatic image of Mercury, against a vivid backdrop of colour and graphic elements inspired by his life, passions and artistic identity.
Frank Styles painted I’m Mr. Mercury as four separate works, then composed them into a single anamorphic image applied across all 58 Spanish Steps.
The mural is 30ft tall, but it only exists from one place: a yellow circle marked on the ground opposite the Steps. Stand there and the fragments lock into Freddie Mercury's face. Move a few paces in any direction and it breaks back into colour and line.
The graphic representations within the wider artwork tell of the man himself outside of his performer persona. A symmetrical abstract across the steps features koi carp to represent Freddie’s life-long love of Japan and are a nod to his London home which featured, in pride of place, a Japanese garden and pond.
The winged female figures nod to Mercury's Virgo star sign. Freddie used the same motif on the Queen crest, which he designed himself, combining the band members' zodiac signs into a single emblem.
Selected lyrics from Mercury’s song catalogue and quotations from the artist himself rise across the 58 Spanish Steps towards Wembley Stadium, tracing a symbolic journey from the private man behind the performer to the global icon he became.
Regarded as one of the greatest performers in rock history, Freddie Mercury rose to global fame as Queen’s lead singer, pianist and one of its principal songwriters, creating classics including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are the Champions” and “Don’t Stop Me Now”. His electrifying appearance with Queen at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985 became one of the defining performances of his career.
By then, Mercury already had a longstanding connection with Wembley. Queen had performed ten times at Wembley Arena, beginning with three consecutive concerts in May 1978, when the building was still known as the Empire Pool. The band returned for three further shows in December 1980 and four more in September 1984.
Following Live Aid, Queen returned to Wembley Stadium for two sold-out concerts in July 1986 as part of the Magic Tour. The second night was filmed and later became the celebrated Live at Wembley ’86 concert release, preserving one of Mercury’s most iconic performances at the venue.
Beyond Queen, Mercury pursued a successful solo career during the 1980s, releasing Mr Bad Guy in 1985 before joining forces with legendary Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé for the album Barcelona in 1988. Known for his theatrical performance style, restless creativity and freedom of expression, Mercury inspired generations to embrace individuality and challenge convention.
Frank Styles, the renowned street artist who created I’m Mr. Mercury, comments: “It’s been an honour to once again work with Wembley Park to deliver this tribute to the one and only, Freddie Mercury. As a trained graphic designer himself, Freddie was very aware and precise about the visual feel and so I have endeavoured to follow his ethos in the conscious creation of this mural.”
Jim Beach, Queen's longtime manager and Mercury Phoenix Trust co-founder alongside Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, comments: “Freddie was known to millions around the world as the frontman of Queen but off stage, he was a quiet and humble man, happy at home surrounded by the things he loved most. ‘I’m Mr. Mercury’ perfectly captures the beautiful complexity of Freddie, with his captivating portrait drawing people into his world as he did so magically during his life.”
Wembley Park’s Head of Cultural Programming Claudio Giambrone, who commissioned and curated the mural tribute, comments: “Freddie Mercury’s relationship with Wembley goes far beyond a single famous performance. Some of Queen’s most extraordinary moments happened here and generations of fans continue to associate Freddie with Wembley. For his 80th birthday, we wanted to create something that gives fans a new place in Wembley where they can come together and remember him.”
I’m Mr. Mercury continues Wembley Park’s legacy of welcoming musical artists through creative expression. It follows ‘YELLOW 25’, the neighbourhood’s acclaimed homage in collaboration with Pantone, to Coldplay’s Wembley residency last year and the band’s 25th anniversary of the hit song ‘Yellow’, and large-scale murals, including fan-favourite ‘Auras’ also by Frank Styles on the ‘Swiftie Steps’, in dedication to Taylor Swift’s Wembley Stadium concerts in 2024.
I’m Mr. Mercury is part of the Wembley Park Art Trail, which features large-scale works across the neighbourhood. In addition to the now globally viral tributes to Taylor Swift, highlights include a mural dedicated to Lana Del Rey and the Square of Fame, where visitors can see the handprints of artists including Dolly Parton, Madonna, George Michael, The Who, Bryan Adams and Kylie Minogue.
The installation is free to view 24 hours a day and runs until December 2026.
