The Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) opens its doors to a bold new era tomorrow with the launch of DIVA, a landmark blockbuster exhibition celebrating the performers who have redefined power, presence and performance across generations.
Opening at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, DIVA marks AMPA’s debut major exhibition and positions the museum as a new home for spectacle, storytelling and the preservation of Australia’s performing arts legacy. Developed by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and presented exclusively in Australia, the exhibition places the diva not only as an artist, but as a cultural force — provocative, influential and impossible to ignore.
A global celebration of performance, fashion and identity
On display from 11 December 2025 to 26 April 2026, DIVA features more than 250 objects, including 60 extraordinary costumes, jewellery, photography, music and rare archival material. Drawn from the V&A Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection, and international loans, the exhibition traces how divas across genres and eras have shaped fashion, identity and the very heartbeat of live performance.
Visitors will encounter a roll call of global icons whose influence transcends stage and screen. Legendary names include Maria Callas, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Dame Nellie Melba, Grace Jones, Cher, Prince, Tina Turner, Elton John, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Adele, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Björk, Billie Eilish and more — each represented through objects that reveal both their artistry and their impact. 
Australia’s divas take centre stage
Australia’s contribution to global “DIVAdom” is powerfully represented through standout works from the Australian Performing Arts Collection. From operatic royalty Dame Nellie Melba and Dame Joan Sutherland to pop trailblazers Peter Allen, Olivia Newton-John, Marcia Hines and Kylie Minogue, the exhibition celebrates performers who helped shape Australia’s cultural identity on the world stage.
Contemporary voices also shine, with figures such as Kate Miller-Heidke, Jessica Mauboy, and Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers reflecting the evolving face of Australian performance. Boundary-pushing artists Chrissy Amphlett, Dame Edna Everage, Reuben Kaye and Meow Meow further expand the definition of diva, reinforcing its power as a space of defiance, wit and transformation.
Redefining what it means to be a diva
Moving beyond stereotype, DIVA charts the origin, rise and reinvention of the diva — from early creative subversions to backlash, reclamation and modern reign. Through couture gowns, showstopping costumes and deeply personal objects, the exhibition invites audiences to consider how divas have used voice, image and performance to challenge norms and claim agency.
Ephemera from the world of DIVAdom — posters, song sheets, handwritten lyrics and accessories — offer intimate insight into the lived realities behind the spotlight. The experience is further amplified by a powerful sonic landscape designed by world-leading sound designer Gareth Fry, with an emotional soundtrack spanning Maria Callas, Jessye Norman, Aretha Franklin and Josephine Baker, through to Dolly Parton, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Beyoncé and Madonna.
A new cultural landmark for Melbourne
Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM reflected on the exhibition’s breadth and significance, noting that DIVA spans generations and artforms, honouring both enduring legends and artists whose influence is still unfolding.
V&A Senior Curator Kate Bailey added that the exhibition reclaims the word “diva” in all its complexity — a symbol of creativity, courage and ambition — and celebrates performers who have challenged the status quo and reshaped cultural imagination.
Bold, immersive and unapologetically theatrical, DIVA opens a powerful new chapter for the Australian Museum of Performing Arts, inviting audiences to witness the artistry, adversity and enduring influence of performers who dared to take centre stage and change the world.
For tickets and more information, visit artscentremelbourne.com.au
