Take it off!
The Masked Singer’s spectacular costumes come together for the first time at Brighton Museum.
Some of the most spectacular costumes from TV’s biggest guessing game are coming together for the first time at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery this autumn, in a major new exhibition celebrating the creativity, craftsmanship and sheer imagination behind The Masked Singer, the multi award-winning TV series produced by Bandicoot Scotland, part of Argonon.
Opening on 24 October 2026 and running until 6 June 2027, Making the Masked Singer brings together 24 complete costumes and seven individual character heads from seven seasons of the hit ITV show, giving visitors an extraordinary up-close look at the characters that have entertained and fooled millions of viewers.
The line-up includes memorable favourites such as Hedgehog, worn by Jason Manford; Fox, worn by Denise van Outen; Tree, worn by Teddy Sheringham; Badger, worn by Ne-Yo; Mushroom, worn by Charlotte Church; Pigeon, worn by Katherine Ryan; Phoenix, worn by Ricky Wilson; Pufferfish, worn by Samantha Barks; and Dressed Crab, worn by Gregory Porter.
Also on display will be characters from more recent series, including Moth, Conkers and Giant Joel, alongside individual character heads including Unicorn, Bush Baby, Snow Leopard, Fawn, Maypole and Monkey Business. But this exhibition goes far beyond the famous faces behind the masks. For the first time, visitors will discover the story of how these extraordinary costumes are made, shining a spotlight on the Sussex-based makers who transform wild ideas into television magic.
Created by Plunge Creations, the costumes combine costume-making, sculpture, engineering, prop-making and specialist fabrication. Each one has to be spectacular, wearable and capable of concealing the identity of the celebrity inside, while allowing them to perform under the bright lights of a television studio.
Bandicoot Scotland, the production company behind the beloved series, has worked closely with Plunge to bring the show to life, creating an incredible television experience that captivates and intrigues viewers. Now, as part of the show’s wonder and excitement, you’ll have the chance to discover who’s really behind the mask with ‘Making the Masked Singer’.
The exhibition offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the hidden details and ingenious techniques involved in bringing the characters to life, from the initial concept through to the finished costume.
About Bandicoot
Founded in 2017 by Derek McLean and Daniel Nettleton in a joint venture with Argonon, the multi award-winning Bandicoot TV devises and produces entertainment, reality and factual entertainment formats. Bandicoot has produced seven series of The Masked Singer UK for ITV, collecting ten major awards including an International Emmy for Entertainment, the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme and the prestigious RTS Programme Award – Entertainment, as well as being a three-time winner of the RTS Craft & Design Award for Costume Design – Entertainment & Non-Drama.
Bandicoot is also behind The Masked Dancer of which two series have been produced for ITV. Bandicoot has produced several specials including The Masked Singer – I’m a Celebrity Special. Bandicoot produced the critically acclaimed, genre-defining reality series Peckham’s Finest, which enjoyed a ten-part run on ITV2 in 2021. Further previous commissions include ITV Hub series The Masked Singer: Unmasked; two series of Test Drive for BBC Scotland which was nominated in the entertainment category at the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2020 and Chase the Case, a 20-part series for BBC One.
Bandicoot has several new UK and US projects in the pipeline. Bandicoot’s six part series and first ever AFP, The Joy of Pets, is currently airing on ITV and ITVX.
About Plunge Creations
Founded in 2000 by Creative Director, Tim Simpson, Plunge Creations is a multi-award winning creative studio making extraordinary props and costumes for some of the biggest global brands and the highest profile names in the entertainment industries. Located in the heart of Portslade village, Plunge employs a team of full-time specialist makers and project managers, as well as dozens of freelance creatives.
Plunge has made the costumes for every season of The Masked Singer UK and worked on The Masked Singer Belgium and The Masked Dancer. The team has also made costumes for Stranger Things : The First Shadow, Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre, The Celebrity Traitors on BBC1, the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live UK and worked with Roger Law and Avalon Television to create the caricature heads for the 2019 revival of Spitting Image on ITV.
Plunge also specialises in designing and making props and large-scale sets and installations for museums, heritage sites, theme parks and public spaces. They have designed and built the St Pancras Christmas trees since 2015 for brands including Disney, Tiffany’s and Great Ormond Street Hospital. They also regularly create iconic movie and video games characters and props for clients including Universal NBC, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, Playstation and Hasbro.
With interactive experiences and playful activities for families, visitors can put their detective skills to the test, spot clues and explore the creative secrets behind the masks.
Whether you correctly guessed who was hiding underneath or were completely surprised by the final reveal, Making the Masked Singer offers the chance to see what really goes on behind the mask – before it’s time to take it off.
