Visitors are encouraged to get a date in the diary for this major show, which explores the history, design, and cultural impact of one of the world’s most recognisable dolls.
Sean Murphy What’s On Editor
00:10, 17 Mar 2026Updated 08:12, 17 Mar 2026
The Barbie exhibition is coming to Kelvingrove(Image: Contributed)
Tickets for a thrilling new exhibition, that is a major coup for Glasgow and explores the history of one of the world’s most recognisable dolls, will go on sale today (Tuesday, March 17).
Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture, events and active living in Glasgow, is teaming up with Mattel Inc and the Design Museum in London, to bring the Barbie: The Exhibition to Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum for its Scottish debut this summer.
Tickets are available from 10am on Tuesday, March 17, and can be purchased online at www.glasgowlife.org.uk/barbie, with visitors encouraged to get a date in the diary for this major show, which explores the history and design of this cultural phenomenon.
Spanning over 65 years of creativity and innovation, Barbie: The Exhibition invites visitors to trace the evolution of Barbie from her debut in 1959 to the present day.
Conceived by the Design Museum in London, the exhibition features more than 250 objects, from rare early dolls to fashion, vehicles, and playsets. It offers behind-the-scenes insight into how Barbie has been designed, made, and continually reimagined to stay culturally relevant.
Chair of Glasgow Life, Bailie Annette Christie, said: “Now spring has sprung and the days are getting longer, it’s a joy to start planning the adventures ahead this summer. This year, that includes the opportunity to discover the history and design of the doll that started it all, the phenomenon that is Barbie.
“Glasgow Life is excited to work with the Design Museum and Mattel to bring an enduring icon to Glasgow. This exhibition is stylish, culturally significant and rooted in design history and it’s an honour to be the first city in Scotland to host a major exhibition dedicated to Barbie.
“With tickets on sale, now is the perfect time to get ahead of the crowd and plan a joyful, engaging, even nostalgic visit with family and friends. Make a real day of it at what promises to be one of the biggest and most talked-about shows of the summer.”
The exhibition charts the evolution of Barbie, from the early years and iconic Dreamhouse to bold redesigns and modern updates, in response to shifting social and cultural attitudes. ‘The Debut,’ explores the doll that started it all, opening with a rare, original, hand-painted Number 1 Barbie. This is the first of more than 150 remarkable and innovative dolls on display.
‘The Doll’ invites visitors to see how Barbie has been continually reinvented from early milestone dolls to more recent designs that broaden how Barbie looks, moves and lives.
Highlights include the first Black, Hispanic and Asian dolls, as well as the first Barbie in a wheelchair and the first with Down Syndrome, showing how the brand has evolved to reflect the diversity of the world around it.
The exhibition also explores the impact Barbie has on imaginative play and careers in ‘The Way We Play’. By undertaking more than 250 roles from builder and surgeon to astronaut and fashion designer Barbie has inspired generations as a creative, ambitious role model.
Fashion is a key theme across the show. Visitors will see Barbie as a style icon and muse that has partnered with more designers than any other toy brand. Barbie fans will delight in seeing dozens of original Barbie outfits up-close, with many couture collaborations set to be real showstoppers.
Other highlights include some of the most recognisable and best-selling dolls in the history of Barbie, from the 1971 Sunset Malibu Barbie to the ground-breaking 1985 Day to Night Barbie, whose pink work suit transformed into an evening gown, reflecting changing roles for women. Two examples of 1992’s Totally Hair Barbie, the best-selling Barbie of all time, will also be on display.
Showcasing fashion, architecture, and design, ‘The World of Barbie’ explores the wider universe that surrounds the doll, including rare Barbie Dreamhouses, accessories, and the first vehicles that have shaped the distinctive world of Barbie.
Many friends of Barbie also feature, with a segment dedicated to Ken and how he has evolved since debuting in 1961.
As visitors move towards the final section ‘The Icon’, the exhibition spotlights the enduring presence of Barbie as a pop culture icon, examining the doll’s cultural influence, and global status. Visitors can see the impact Barbie has had on design in all its forms.
Barbie: The Exhibition Glasgow
Barbie: The Exhibition is a partnership between the Design Museum and Mattel Inc.
Where: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
When: June 13, 2026, and runs until October 18, 2026.
How to get tickets: Tickets are available from 10am on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 and can be purchased online at www.glasgowlife.org.uk/barbie.