We all remember it well. Rihanna sweeping into the 2018 Met Gala dressed as a modern-day pontiff, her Maison Margiela creation by John Galliano glittering under the flashbulbs, equal parts sacred and subversive.
That unforgettable moment – an instant seared into pop culture history – sits at the heart of DIVA, a landmark new exhibition opening exclusively at Melbourne’s brand-new Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) later this year.
What is the DIVA exhibition?
DIVA is an exhibition of loaned items from across the world worn by many of the world’s best-known divas, from 19th century opera goddesses and silent movie stars to Golden Age Hollywood legends and today’s global megastars and pop icons.
Alongside Rihanna’s Papal Met Gala look will be Lady Gaga’s ethereal lavender Valentino gown from the 2019 Golden Globes, Bob Mackie’s dazzling creations for Cher and Tina Turner, and Elton John’s outrageous Sandy Powell-designed 50th birthday outfit.
But this is not merely an international roll call of icons – it’s also a love letter to Australia’s own divas. Kylie Minogue’s fiery Padam Padam outfit makes a triumphant appearance, joined by Jessica Mauboy’s glittering Eurovision gown. There’s a powerful presence in Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO’s (Yorta Yorta/Yuin) striking gown worn at the National Gallery of Australia in 2010, and a wink of punkish irreverence in Amy Taylor (of Amyl & The Sniffers fame)'s whoopee cushion costume, donned on stage at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
What ties these looks together isn’t just spectacle but storytelling. Each garment is a reminder that performance is as much about costume as it is about voice, movement, or sound. To be a diva, the exhibition suggests, is to embody transformation—whether through sequins, silk, or sheer force of personality.
Where is it happening?
Melbourne’s upcoming Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA), set to open in December 2025 at Hamer Hall’s upper terrace. It will present rare treasures from the Australian Performing Arts Collection – including costumes and artefacts from icons like Kylie Minogue and Hugh Jackman – alongside touring international exhibitions.
When is the exhibition open?
The exhibition will open on 11 December 2025 and run through till 26 April 2026.
Feature image: Installation image of DIVA at the V&A. Credit: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
