For the first time in Italy, Bologna and the Music Museum they host QUEEN The Last Tourphotographic exhibition by Torleif Svensson dedicated to Magic Tour in 1986, Queen's last tour with the historic full lineup made up of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, whose 40th anniversary is celebrated this year.
The exhibition project joins the Images a selection of original items belonging to Freddie Mercury and Queenincluding some material never before presented to the public, offering a close-up account of the band's last great live season.
The International Museum and Library of Music of Civic Museums Sector of Municipality of Bologna continues the exploration of the trend of photographic exhibitions based on the fascinating encounter between image and music, welcoming from 10 July to 11 October 2026 the exhibition QUEEN The Last Tour Torleif Svensson's photos from the 1986 Magic Touredited by Pascal Casadei van Raamsdonkcreated in collaboration with A Piece of His Own and with the media partnership of Radio Bruno.
The exhibition brings together thirty-seven medium and large format photographic prints which immortalize the performances of the tour, which started the year following the triumphal concert on 13 July 1985 at Wembley Stadium in London for the Live Aid.
The 26-date tour culminated in the historic final concert of 9 August 1986 at Knebworth Parknear Stevenage, in front of around 120,000 spectators: Queen arrived on board a helicopter decorated with album graphics A Kind of Magic.
Thanks to direct access to the stage and behind the scenes, Torleif Svensson was able to capture moments of extraordinary intensity: images that show Mercury at the height of his artistic energy, charismatic, theatrical and profoundly human. Through his lens, the scenic power of the performances, the energy of the audience and the emotional intensity of the concerts emerge.
Not simple stage photographs, but true fragments of music history, capable of conveying the atmosphere of an era and the cultural impact of one of the most iconic rock bands of all time.
From the Magic Tour from 1986, the photographs remained jealously guarded for decades in Svensson's personal archive and never exhibited to the public until the period between 2019 and 2021, when they were finally revealed to coincide with the release of his book Queen – The Last Tour and with the creation of the first exhibition in Sweden.
These circumstances give the Bolognese exhibition the value of a real one “time capsule”capable of bringing the visitor back to the atmosphere of the Eighties and reliving the emotion of Queen's last great tour. QUEEN The Last Tour it is therefore a celebration of the legend of Queen and their musical legacy, but also the visual story of an unrepeatable farewell, capable of involving fans of music, photography and rock culture.
But the homage to the 40 years of the Magic Tour is not the only anniversary related to Queen: on September 5, 2026 Freddie Mercury would have celebrated his 80th birthday. A further opportunity therefore to give a new interpretation to his incredible and unforgettable character.
QUEEN The Last Tour continues inside the permanent collection of the museum with an investigation intomusical iconography which, starting from historical collections, brings different eras and languages into dialogue, exploring the representation of the musician and his art as an expression of the values and sensitivity of his time.
As happens with many great figures in the history of music, in fact, the memory of Queen continues to live on decades later through images, stories and objects that fuel their presence in the collective imagination. And the route on the main floor invites the visitor to reflect on this very process, questioning the way in which society constructs, preserves and transmits the memory of its protagonists.
The exhibition rooms host a selection of 5 photographs and various memorabilia: instruments, clothes and accessories belonging to the band members which are linked with similar testimonies preserved in the historical collections of the Music Museum, to reflect on the profound reasons that make these objects so important for the public.
The history of music is in fact dotted with true “secular relics”, which acquire value not so much for their material characteristics but for their connection with the admired figure. In this sense, contemporary collecting linked to Queen appears as the direct heir of a long tradition that spans the entire history of European music.
Torleif Svensson's images tell the story of Queen's last great journey; the memorabilia opens up some side rooms, more intimate and close, connecting the stage to the studio, the concert to everyday life, the icon to the person.
To cite a few examples: the Mercury's passion for art and antiquesevidenced by the books and auction catalogs through which he continued to choose, desire and purchase objects for himself and his loved ones until his last days, enters into dialogue with the collection of Father Martinibuilt over time through volumes, manuscripts, letters, musical librettos and portraits of musicians; his iconic figure, adored by fans during the Magic Tourdraws screaming crowds to concerts around Europe of Farinelli; The Elektra Records gold record for the million copies sold of the single We Are The Championsawarded to Brian May, is on par with the Order of the Golden Spur awarded to Mozart in 1770 by Pope Clement XIV; The ancient musical instruments displayed in the windows will welcome the drum plate and sticks that belonged to Roger Taylorthe official replica of Red Special guitar produced by the Brian May Guitars brand and signed by Brian May, together with a sixpence actually used by the musician as a plectrum during live performances.
Some objects also allow us to connect the last tour to an immediately preceding and fundamental moment in Queen's history: the Live Aid. After July 13, 1985, when the band suddenly returned to the center of the world stage thanks to their legendary performance at Wembley, Queen found themselves at Musicland Studios in Munich (founded by Giorgio Moroder in the early Seventies) with a new creative energy.
From those sessions was born One Visiona song collectively signed by the four members of the band and destined, a few months later, to open every concert of Magic Tour.
In this context, the Rapax CB orange tank top n. 4worn by Freddie Mercury during the recording sessions, coming from the official auction of his personal memorabilia, put up for sale by Mary Austin, heiress of the artist's private collection.
In addition to the Rapax, the Machline t-shirtfilmed for a few moments backstage in the same visual universe: a more discreet presence, but capable of restoring the informal and operational climate that surrounded those sessions.
There Champion t-shirt instead it recalls Freddie Mercury's arrival in Japan during the final phase of the 1985 Works Tour and adds a further human level: not a stage item, but a travel track, linked to the band's international movements and the special relationship built by Queen with the Japanese public.
A fundamental contribution to the exhibition comes from the Bolognese singer-songwriter Cesare Cremoninifamous Queen enthusiast and collector. Thanks to his generosity towards the city and towards the Music Museum, the public will be able to admire two iconic pieces belonging to his personal collection: the shirt worn by Freddie Mercury in the legendary helicopter arrival at Knebworth Park on 9 August 1986 and the famous yellow “Champion” tank top shown on the concert stage.
To tell the many anecdotes hidden behind every object and every photograph, a series of guided tours with the curator Pascal Casadei van Raamsdonk and with Bernardo Lo Sterzomusic popularizer and collaborator of the Music Museum.
Lastly, the organization of the exhibition marks a significant third anniversary for Bologna and for the museum: in 2026 the city will celebrate the twenty years of its prestigious recognition as UNESCO Creative City of Musicoriginally obtained in 2006, which is based on the excellence of the past and the richness of the proposals of the present.
The exhibition is part of Bologna Summer 2026the program of activities promoted by the Municipality of Bologna and the Metropolitan City of Bologna – Bologna-Modena Tourist Territory.
The coordinated image of the QUEEN exhibition The Last Tour Torleif Svensson's photos from the 1986 Magic Tour at the Bologna Music Museum was financed by the European Union under the Metro Plus National Program and Southern Medium Cities 2021-2027 – Priority 7 – Project BO7.5.1.1.b Museums as a lever for tourism development and promotion of talent.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
