Courtesy of British AirwaysBefore he came to fame as Queen‘s frontman, Freddie Mercury worked as a baggage handler at London’s Heathrow Airport. Wednesday, September 5, marked what would have been Mercury’s 72nd birthday, and to honor the singer and the occasion, a group of British Airways baggage handlers took part in a specially choreographed airport performance set to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free.”
You can watch a video of the performance, which featured the airline employees wearing fake mustaches and replicas of a yellow jacket Mercury used to wear, at British Airways’ official YouTube channel. The clip also features brief interviews with a few of the airport workers who took part in the routine.
The baggage handlers spent weeks preparing for the performance, which was devised by Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor choreographer Lyndon Lloyd.
The routine was among a number of Queen-themed festivities that took place at the airport Wednesday. In addition to honoring Mercury, the celebrations served to raise awareness for the band’s Mercury Phoenix Trust charity while also promoting the upcoming Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which opens November 2.
Continuing the celebration as the film’s premiere approaches, the airport will put pieces of Queen memorabilia on display in the departures area.
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