Melbourne’s newest museum opens with blockbuster DIVA exhibition at Arts Centre Melbourne

Melbourne has a brand-new museum – and it has launched in spectacular fashion.

The Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA), housed inside Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne, opened its doors today with DIVA, a major exhibition celebrating the world’s most powerful and provocative performers.

Years in the making, the museum’s debut blockbuster has arrived with more than 250 objects, including 60 dazzling costumes, couture gowns, rare archival pieces, jewellery, photography, art and music.

Developed by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and presented exclusively in Australia, DIVA pays tribute to the artists who have shaped culture, pushed boundaries and redefined what it means to command a stage.

From Maria Callas, Judy Garland and Dame Nellie Melba to Grace Jones, Prince, Elton John, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, Rihanna, P!nk and Billie Eilish, the exhibition traces the lineage of divas who changed the world through fashion, performance and persona. Visitors move through immersive displays charting not only the spectacle but also the adversity and activism that forged the modern diva.

Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM said the launch of AMPA and its first exhibition was a landmark moment for Australia’s performing arts landscape.

“The exhibition spans generations and artforms – those who have already transformed the Australian and international arts landscape and have left a powerful legacy, and those whose careers are just approaching their zenith,” she said. 

The display also features standout pieces from Australia’s own performing arts legends, drawn from the Australian Performing Arts Collection – one of the largest and most significant archives of its kind. Visitors will encounter extraordinary items linked to Dame Joan Sutherland, Marcia Hines, Peter Allen, Olivia Newton-John, Chrissy Amphlett, Dame Edna Everage, Jessica Mauboy, Kate Miller-Heidke and more, illustrating how Australian performers have shaped global understandings of “DIVAdom”.

Personal objects, handwritten lyrics, posters, song sheets and accessories accompany the major costumes, creating intimate portraits of the artists behind the persona. A specially designed sonic experience by award-winning sound designer Gareth Fry fills the gallery with an emotional soundtrack featuring Callas, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Adele, Dolly Parton and many others.

V&A Senior Curator Kate Bailey said the exhibition sought to reclaim and expand the meaning of a word often misunderstood.

“Today the word diva holds a myriad of meanings,” she said. “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.”

AMPA – Arts Centre Melbourne’s newest cultural venue – will showcase works from its vast 850,000-object Performing Arts Collection alongside major international exhibitions. Its opening marks a significant new chapter in Melbourne’s cultural life, with support from philanthropic partners and seed funding from the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

DIVA runs from today until April 26, 2026, open weekdays from 12pm to 7pm and weekends from 10am to 7pm. Tickets and more information are available at artscentremelbourne.com.au.