Stars celebrate Avicii at emotional tribute concert

Stars perform at the Avicii tribute concertImage copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Adam Lambert, Mchelle Gonzalez and Rita Ora were among the stars who paid tribute

Stars including Rita Ora, Adam Lambert and David Guetta have played a charity tribute concert in honour of the late Swedish DJ Avicii.

Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead in Oman in April 2018, at the age of 28.

His family said at the time he was a perfectionist who struggled with stress and “could not go on any longer”.

Proceeds from the concert will go to mental health and suicide prevention charities.

It opened on an emotional note, with Swedish singer Sandro Cavazzo performing his Avicii collaboration Without You.

The song’s poignant lyrics – “I’ve gotta learn how to love without you” – became a eulogy for the DJ in the wake of his death; and Stockholm’s Friends Arena twinkled with camera lights as fans memorialised the star.

Later on, British star Rita Ora gave a celebratory performance of Lonely Together, backed by a 30-piece band and cascading pyrotechnics.

As the song ended, she formed her hands into a heart symbol, in tribute to Avicii.

After leaving the stage, she posted an heartfelt note on Instagram, saying: “I want to thank Avicii’s family for organising this [concert] to raise awareness for mental health especially within the music industry.

“Often success can be seen as a representation that someone is also doing well mentally, however we can see here that there is sooo much more work to be done.”

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Rita Ora spoke about the importance of addressing mental health issues in the music industry

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Avicii’s family have established a foundation in his name to support suicide prevention and mental health.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden were among the 60,000-strong audience for the show, which was streamed live on YouTube and Facebook.

A parade of Avicii’s friends and collaborators graced the stage, including Adam Lambert, Michelle Gonzalez, Agnes Carlsson, Kygo and Belgian DJ Dimitri Vegas.

Aloe Blacc, who scored a worldwide hit with Avicii on the dance-country crossover Wake Me Up, was among those paying tribute.

‘Wake-up call’

“Every generation has its icon and heroes who break convention to capture hearts and minds,” he said. “Our friend Tim Bergling was one of those bright, shining stars.

“Through his music, he shared his joy, his pain and his passion, and I witnessed his brilliance first hand.

“I trusted him and I believed in his artistic vision, and in a short time I would see the tremendous impact our collaboration would have on the world. It changed my life forever. Thank you, Tim.”

Dance producer David Guetta called Avicii’s death “a wake-up call for our community”.

Musicians, whether they’re DJs, pop stars or rock bands “push [themselves] constantly and it never stops,” he explained to Rolling Stone ahead of the concert.

“You always need to deliver constantly. It’s very difficult and the expectations, when you’ve reached the top, are huge, and so many people depend on you.”

The star said he had cut back his touring commitments after Avicii died, restricting himself to no more than 100 shows per year.

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Aloe Blacc performed Wake Me Up and SOS – a posthumously-released song that addressed Avicii’s struggles

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

David Guetta said Avicii’s death had made him prioritise his own mental wellbeing

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Fans lit up Stockholm’s Friends Arena to memorialise the star

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden were among the 60,000-strong audience

The concert ended with an extended, valedictory version of Avicii’s signature song, Levels, as the arena lit up with fireworks and laser beams. Some of the crowd danced through the sadness, others stood silently in tears.

As the club beats faded into a melancholy orchestral coda, home videos of the late DJ flashed across the screen, lingering on a final, still image before fading to black.

In a statement, Avicii’s father, Klas Bergling, said the family had wanted the concert to put “the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide” on the political agenda.

“Policies and tools are needed to detect the risks and prevent suicide, especially among young people,” he added.

“We are grateful that his friends, artists and musicians with whom he worked during his career have come to Stockholm to help us realise this tribute concert.”

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email

source: bbc.com