"I have endeavoured to follow his ethos in the conscious creation"
A 30-foot mural of Freddie Mercury has been unveiled at Wembley Park to mark what would have been the Queen frontman’s 80th birthday.
Called I’m Mr Mercury, the anamorphic artwork was created by street artist Frank Styles and covers all 58 of Wembley Park’s Spanish Steps.
The mural only forms a complete image when viewed from a marked spot around 65ft away. From other angles, it appears as fragmented colour and lines.
Styles hand-sprayed the artwork as four separate pieces before composing them into a single image across the steps, which connect Wembley Stadium with the OVO Arena, formerly known as Wembley Arena.
The mural celebrates Mercury’s long association with Wembley, where Queen performed 10 times between 1978 and 1984 when the venue was known as the Empire Pool.
The band also performed at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in July 1985 before returning to the stadium for two sold-out concerts the following summer.
Mercury, who was born on September 5, 1946 in Zanzibar to Indian parents, died in 1991 aged 45.
The artwork also draws on elements of Mercury’s life beyond his performances, including his love of Japan.
Koi carp featured in the mural reference his interest in Japanese culture and the Japanese pond at his London home.
Winged female figures represent Mercury’s Virgo star sign, which was also incorporated into the Queen crest he designed himself.
Lyrics and quotations are incorporated into the steps, leading towards Wembley Stadium.
Claudio Giambrone, who commissioned and curated the work for Wembley Park, said:
“Freddie Mercury’s relationship with Wembley goes far beyond a single famous performance.
“We wanted to create something that gives fans a new place in Wembley where they can come together and remember him.”
Frank Styles said: “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.”
The I’m Mr Mercury mural is free to view and will remain at Wembley Park until December 2026.
The mural comes as a piano and microphone used by Mercury, alongside handwritten drafts of his early solo songwriting, prepares to head to auction.
The items and several other pieces from the collection will go on public display before the auction at a special free-to-enter exhibition at The Cumberland Hotel in London from September 23 to 27, 2026.
The auction will take place on October 1 and 2, giving fans and collectors the opportunity to bid on personal and creative artefacts connected to one of rock music’s most iconic frontmen.
