DIVA

This fall, the Denver Art Museum will be the exclusive U.S. venue for DIVA, the celebrated international fashion exhibition from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, reimagined for American audiences with new loans from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Dolly Parton. Opening on October 4, 2026, DIVA examines the key role of the "diva" in culture, and how this has been embraced and subverted throughout the 19th century to present day across opera, stage, popular music, and film. In celebration of the radical power of nearly 100 iconic performers, DIVA unfolds across two acts. The first traces the origin of the term from the operatic and film goddesses of the 19th century to the dancers, showgirls, and Hollywood stars of the 20th, including Maria Callas, Josephine Baker, and Gloria Swanson. The second act turns to modern-day powerhouses and their cultural mega stardom including Swift, Beyoncé, Parton, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and more. The exhibition also features some of iconic designer Bob Mackie’s more captivating looks, such as Tina Turner's "Flame Dress" and designs for Cher that transcend eras. With more than 200 objects guiding viewers through the historic legacy to the present-day “diva,” the exhibition will feature nearly 60 costumes—several of which are new to the Denver presentation—including two from Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl tour alongside her 2023 TIME Person of the Year cover. DIVA will be on view through January 31, 2027.

Denver, Colorado
80204  US