Per Gessle, here at a concert in Berlin in 2018
Photo: Redferns, Adam Berry. All rights reserved.
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A solidarity concert for Ukraine took place in Sweden last Saturday (April 2) under the motto “All of Sweden collects money for Ukraine”. The equivalent of 7.3 million euros came together for the victims of the Russian war of aggression, as the organizers announced on Monday.
To reach that sum, the live televised concert featured some of the country’s biggest stars. Per Gessle also took to the stage in Stockholm’s Avicii Arena: with the most appropriate title imaginable, he suggested that the Swedes take part in the fundraising by performing the Roxette classic “Listen To Your Heart” in a quiet acoustic version .
Björn Ulvaeus on Putin: “Shithead!”
Per Gessle recently announced that Roxette would be revived in a new formation a good two years after the death of Marie Fredriksson. Other musical celebrities from Sweden stood next to him on stage: Benny Andersson from ABBA performed the ABBA song “Ode To Freedom” together with the Ukrainian string ensemble Kyiv Soloists. It is the first time that the final song of the new album “Voyage” has been played live. His bandmate Björn Ulvaeus gave a speech in which he expressed his sadness about the situation of the refugees – and described Vladimir Putin as a “bastard”.
The king and queen were in the audience
The head of state King Carl XVI. Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia were also among the approximately 6,000 spectators on site. The king summed up the appalling situation in Ukraine at a public meeting at the beginning of March: “Europe is in an extremely difficult situation. It hasn’t been this difficult in a long time. Russia invaded Ukraine. This violates international law and overrides fundamental freedoms and rights. The humanitarian catastrophe is a fact. People are fleeing their homes and their land. Families are separated. Innocent people die.”
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