Elton John to Headline ‘Life Festival’ in Auschwitz Town

Elton John will headline June’s Life Festival. Image by Getty Images

By JTA December 6, 2015

Elton John will headline the next Life Festival Oswiecim.

He will perform in the city of former Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, at the festival in June, organizers have announced.

“Like everyone, I am shocked by the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and elsewhere. In June, in Oswiecim, we’ll be celebrating life, peace and music,” said John in a statement published on the festival’s website.

In May, John reportedly will perform in Tel Aviv. It will be his fourth visit to Israel.

Life Festival Oswiecim was organized for the first time in 2010. It was the idea of Polish journalist Darek Maciborek, who was born in Oswiecim and wanted to “break the spell” of the city commonly associated solely with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp, which is now a museum and memorial site.

The festival says it stands for building peaceful relations beyond cultural and state borders, and protesting against anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of xenophobia.

Pop stars who have performed at the festival in previous years are: James Blunt, Matisyahu, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Soundgarden, Eric Clapton, and Chris De Burgh.

Last year organizers canceled a concert of Serbian musician Goran Bregovic after he performed in Crimea, which was annexed by the Russian Federation. The artist declined to condemn Russia’s armed intervention in Ukraine.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO