Mattel and Glasgow Life announce Barbie: The Exhibition is set to make Scottish debut at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture, events and active living in Glasgow, and Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT), a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world, today announced Barbie®: The Exhibition is set to make its Scottish debut at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from 13 June 2026.
This major exhibition will explore the history and design of one of the world’s most famous dolls and celebrate the enduring influence of the brand over almost seventy years. It will invite visitors to follow the Barbie legacy that began in 1959, when Ruth Handler wanted to craft a different narrative for her daughter, Barbara.
Barbie: The Exhibition, which first opened in July 2024, was conceived and hosted by the Design Museum in London and curated by Danielle Thom. It will feature over 150 remarkable and innovative dolls, including a rare Barbie from 1959, which will be the first people see as they enter the exhibition. Hand-painted and featuring Barbie in a black-and-white bathing suit, the doll on display is an especially rare first edition.
Other highlights certain to captivate visitors range from the first Barbie that could ‘move’ to a unique Talking Barbie prototype and best-selling Totally Hair Barbie. These appear alongside several notable and distinctive dolls that explore the changing appearance of Barbie in relation to evolving cultural shifts around diversity and representation.
Showcasing fashion, architecture, furniture, vehicle design and many friends of Barbie, the exhibition will feature over 250 objects, from the very beginning to the present day. Originally designed by Sam Jacob Studio, the exhibition layout reflects the evolution of Barbie, charting the brand’s impact on design and culture in all its forms throughout the decades.
Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: "This will be the first time a Scottish museum has staged a major exhibition devoted to Barbie. Barbie is not just an icon but a creative force that has sparked excitement, ideas and conversations for decades. Glasgow Life is delighted to be working with the Design Museum and Mattel to give visitors an opportunity to get up close to some of the most significant and instantly recognisable Barbie dolls from nearly 70 years. For generations of Barbie fans and new audiences alike, this promises to be a joyful and memorable experience.”
Tim Marlow, Director and CEO of the Design Museum said: "Design has been at the heart of the Barbie story ever since the creation of the first doll 66 years ago and the impact has evolved with each new generation. Before we opened the exhibition at the Design Museum last year we expressed the hope that it would be a joyful, fascinating, inspiring, illuminating and even nostalgic experience for generations of Barbie fans – and it was all those things and more, with public interest exceeding even our confident expectations. I have no doubt that in another world class museum in Glasgow this engagement will continue and we look forward to seeing both the exhibition re-staged and new audiences encountering a re-framed cultural icon."
Kim Culmone, SVP of Design for Mattel, said: "Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has become an international icon and inspiration that continues to spark conversation, creativity, and self-expression around the world. This exhibition tells the story of Barbie through a design lens, including fashion, architecture, furniture, and vehicle design, which are all spaces where she has left a mark on culture during her remarkable more than 65-year legacy. We can’t wait for fans and audiences to continue to experience this exhibition with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum next June.”
Barbie: The Exhibition, one of the Design Museum’s most well-attended shows in its 35-year history with over 144,000 visitors, impresses from the outset, opening with a striking close-up of the original ‘Number 1 Barbie’. Visitors are transported back in time to enjoy the charm of Barbie’s first-ever TV advert, offering a glimpse of how Barbie ‘the doll’ soon developed into Barbie ‘the brand.’
The immersive journey continues with displays showcasing houses, vehicles, accessories and friends, including Ken, which collectively have helped ‘design’ the universe in which Barbie exists and that promises to be a unique experience that will delight Barbie enthusiasts of all ages.
A rare example of the first ever Barbie DreamHouse™, released in 1962, made from cardboard and sporting the distinctly modernist design of its era will be among the Barbie homes on show. Visitors will also be able to see examples of Barbie vehicles, such as the first car (also from 1962) and the first campervan (from 1971), alongside a whole range of other ‘locations’ from ski cabins to space stations.
Together, these pieces invite visitors to trace the styles and cultural trends of each era Barbie has embraced, mirroring the influence of leading designers and architects whose modern, aspirational designs have shaped that world. They also reflect the impact of major retailers and mainstream trends that have kept Barbie at the heart of popular culture.
Exhibition goers with a penchant for fashion will be wowed by the evolving wardrobe of Barbie, while also having the opportunity to identify the influence of several designers who’ve styled Barbie across the years. As with the show’s opening, the final section, which considers the role of Barbie as a pop culture icon, promises to delight, with the inclusion of some original costumes worn by actors in the hugely successful 2023 film, Barbie The Movie.
Barbie: The Exhibition is a partnership between the Design Museum and Mattel Inc. Mattel granted access to the Barbie archives in California and expert brand historians and archivists. Mattel also facilitated several key loans.
The exhibition will open at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on 13 June 2026 and run until 18 October 2026. Sign up at www.glasgowlife.org.uk/barbie for updates on Barbie: The Exhibition.