Stockholm plans to pay tribute to Avicii

The world-famous DJ will be honoured with a memorial

Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii, was one of the global cultural music icons of the 21^st century. The city of Stockholm, where he hailed from, has decided to honour his legacy by building a memorial in Humlegården park with the final decision on its location and form to be taken on 22 April.

The DJ and producer had his residence in the borough of Östermalm more specifically, and it is this district’s committee that is working with the artist’s foundation to pay tribute to his memory in a fitting way.

‘Wake Me Up’, ‘The Days’, ‘The Night’, ‘Fade into Darkness’, ‘Hey Brother’ were some of his hits

Avicii brought joy and happiness to many fans around the world with his electronic dance hits but it is also now known that he himself struggled with personal problems and mental health issues. These likely contributed to his early demise at the age of 28 when he committed suicide in Oman in 2018.

The district’s authorities, however, are of the opinion that both sides of this legacy should be remembered, both his artistic output and his struggles as a way of raising awareness about mental health and depression among young people. Reportedly the rates of this health problem are on the rise and the officials think this is no time to shy away or try to hide that fact but rather shine a light on it in order to reduce stigma.

The proposal, which is yet to be finalized, is to create a memorial in Humlegården park, located close to the Royal Library. The proposed place is reportedly both visible and accessible yet secluded enough to provide calm and peace for visitors.

An unnamed spokesman from the committee was quoted on Stockholm’s website as saying: “It should be a nice and harmonious place in central Östermalm where people should be able to remember Tim Bergling and find joy and inspiration, but also seek comfort and honour Tim and all other people who have passed away far too early in mental illness. The place should remind that more needs to be done to reduce mental illness and self-harming behaviour and at the same time a place that encourages people to find strength in music”.

The next steps are to choose an artist who will create the memorial, which is expected to be unveiled in the summer of 2022.