Avicii’s Fans, Friends Pay Tribute At Memorial Service In Stockholm

A memorial service was held in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday to honor the famed Swedish DJ Avicii (A.K.A. Tim Bergling), seven months after he tragically passed away at the age of 28. Avicii’s family invited hundreds of mourners to the Hedvig Eleonora Church to share stories about the DJ and listen to his music, E! News reported.

The EDM DJ’s father, Klas Bergling, spoke about his son’s successful musical career in a touching speech. Photos of the DJ rested on the altar behind him. Throughout the service, members of the choir sang renditions of Avicii’s hit songs. The proceedings ended with a rendition of his 2013 hit with Aloe Blacc, “Wake Me Up,” according to NME.

“The entire service was very moving,” an insider who attended the service told E! News. Fans paved the streets outside the church as well to pay their respects.

Avicii was found dead in a hotel room in Muscat on April 20 this year. Although his cause of death was never confirmed, the DJ’s family alluded to suicide. They shared that Avicii had been struggling to find happiness and wanted peace.

“Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An overachieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress,” a statement from his family at the time of his death said, which Rolling Stone shared. “Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight.”

Avicii was laid to rest during a private ceremony in June.

In addition to fans, a number of other influential artists mourned Avicii’s death, according to Billboard. Fellow EDM stars, such as deadmau5, Martin Garrix, Zedd, Skrillex, and David Guetta shared their photos with the “Levels” DJ and gave their condolences to his family. Other musicians, such as Nick Jonas and Louis Tomlinson, said how lucky they were to have seen Avicii perform live.

The performer stopped touring in 2016 to have time for himself and his friends. He wrote in a statement shortly after his decision to stop touring that he had gained a new perspective during a drive across the U.S. with his friends.

His unexpected passing rattled the EDM community. The musician had quickly dominated pop charts in the early 2010’s with hits like “Wake Me Up,” which blended country and EDM. The song peaked at number four on Billboard’s Hot 100.