Fashionably Late, But Worth The Wait! New Opening Date Announced For DIVA At Auckland Museum

Exclusive international exhibition brings global icons to Auckland from Saturday 28 June

This month, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum welcomes the spectacular international exhibition DIVA, with a new opening date announced for Saturday 28 June 2025.

Exclusive to Auckland, DIVA is a bold celebration of iconic performers who have defined eras, challenged norms and changed the world through the power of performance.

Developed by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), DIVA showcases over 280 objects, including fashion, photography, costumes, music, and design, featuring trailblazing performers who have made their voices heard from the 19th century to today.

Through theatrical staging and an immersive musical soundtrack experience, DIVA explores stories of the creativity, ambition, and resilience of some the world’s best-known divas, from opera goddesses and silent movie stars to Hollywood legends and today’s global megastars.

Visitors will encounter legendary names from the worlds of opera, theatre, film, rock and pop music, including Maria Callas, Cher, Madonna, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Björk and Billie Eilish and many more.

David Reeves, Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive of Auckland Museum, says DIVA promises to be a spectacular experience.

“We had an unexpected delay to DIVA due to our temporary closure in May, but our team has worked incredibly hard to get us back on track, and we’re thrilled to now open DIVA on Saturday 28 June.

“DIVA is a tribute to those who’ve used performance to challenge convention and push boundaries. This is a celebration of the diva identity in all its power and complexity.

“Visitors will be up close with outfits and objects seen in countless iconic movies, pictures, and performances. The costumes are extraordinary in themselves, but they also represent powerful stories of immense talent, resilience, transformation and cultural revolution.

“These divas didn’t just perform, they reshaped the stages they stood on and the world watching them,” says Reeves.

Curated by V&A’s Kate Bailey, DIVA explores the performer, not just as artist, but as an activist and trailblazer. The exhibition shows how divas leverage fame and spectacle to advocate for change, from civil rights to gender equality.

Kate Bailey, curator of DIVA, said, “Today the word diva holds a myriad of meanings. At the heart of this exhibition is a story of iconic performers who with creativity, courage and ambition have challenged the status quo and used their voice and their art to redefine and reclaim the diva.

“It’s a privilege to tour DIVA to New Zealand. We are thrilled to be working with Auckland Museum and that this powerful story is being shared around the world. Viva La Diva!” says Bailey.

From exquisite couture gowns and showstopping costumes to intimate personal items, visitors will journey through the worlds of some of history’s most magnetic performers, and consider how the very idea of “diva” has been redefined over time.

The exhibition is split into two acts, the first traces the origin and legacy of the diva across opera, stage, and screen. The second act explores the construction of the modern diva through fashion, voice, image and political power.

Included in the exhibition are over 50 diva looks that have rarely been on public display, including: a stage ensemble worn by Maria Callas as the title role of ‘Norma’ (1952); the fringed black dress worn by Marilyn Monroe as Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk in ‘Some Like it Hot’ (1959); the only known surviving dress worn by Clara Bow, rarely seen outside of the U.S; iconic costumes designed by fashion designer for the stars Bob Mackie, including looks worn by Tina Turner, P!nk and Cher; a Louis XIV inspired look with towering powdered wig and train worn by Elton John for his 50th birthday celebration, designed by Sandy Powell; and Shirley Bassey’s couture pink gown designed by Julien MacDonald including diamanté-studded wellington boots, worn on stage at Glastonbury (2007).

For Auckland Museum’s exhibition, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has lent her millennium coat, worn at the New Year’s Day 2000 performance that was broadcast to one billion people around the world.

DIVA is on from Saturday 28 June until Sunday 19 October 2025. Tickets are on sale now at aucklandmuseum.com/diva.

Auckland Museum Membership provides unlimited free entry to DIVA, discounted event tickets and exclusive Member-only events.Find out more at: aucklandmuseum.com/membership.

DIVA is a V&A exhibition touring the world.

DIVA
OPEN SAT 28 JUN – SUN 19 OCT 2025
ADULT $25, CHILD 5–15 $15, UNDER 5 FREE
FAMILY (2 ADULT, 2 CHILD) $72
CONCESSIONS (ADULTS & SENIORS) $23
FREE FOR MUSEUM MEMBERS

DIVA is a dazzling celebration of the artists who have captivated audiences around the world, driven change, and redefined culture. This spectacular international exhibition comes exclusively to Auckland Museum from the V&A in London. Featuring over 280 objects, including show-stopping costumes, fashion, photography, and music, DIVA explores the power, ambition, and artistry of some of the most legendary performers in history.

About the V&A

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. It was established to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections, which span over 5000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world, continue to intrigue, inspire and inform.vam.ac.uk.

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