Memorials & tributes

Statue de Freddie Mercury

Type: Statue
Address: Place du Marché, Montreux

The famous three-metre bronze statue of Freddie Mercury is the work of Czech sculptor Irena Sedlecká. Unveiled in November 1996 by the soprano Montserrat Caballé, in the presence of Brian May, Roger Taylor and the singer’s family, it shows Freddie in his iconic stage pose, fist raised towards the lake. The Queen singer, deeply attached to Montreux where the band owned Mountain Studios, said of the town: “If you want peace of mind, come to Montreux.” It is today the most visited musical pilgrimage site on the Riviera. Flowers, messages and fans from all over the world follow one another all year long, particularly around 5 September, his birthday, during the Freddie Days.

Lover of Life, Singer of Songs

Before the bronze: making the sculpture

The Czech sculptor Irena Sedlecká worked for nearly a year on this three-metre figure. A film follows the stages of its making, from modelling to casting.

The making of the Freddie Mercury statue.

25 November 1996: the unveiling, in the rain

On a rainy day in November 1996, Brian May unveiled the three-metre bronze at the lakeside. Around him: the singer’s parents, Jer and Bomi Bulsara, his sister Kashmira and her husband Roger Cook, his personal assistant Peter Freestone, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, and the Czech sculptor Irena Sedlecká. Montserrat Caballé was there too, along with several other artists.

The work reproduces the singer’s stage stance, arm outstretched, microphone in hand. The base bears the words that serve as his epitaph: “Lover of Life, Singer of Songs”.

It is this silhouette, outlined against Lake Geneva, that appears on the cover of “Made in Heaven”, Queen’s final album, released in 1995 — a year before the unveiling.