Details of Olivia Newton-John's state funeral finally revealed
A state funeral for the late Olivia Newton-John has finally been confirmed, with fans being given the chance to farewell the internationally acclaimed performer in person.
Olivia Newton-John died at the age of 73 in August 2022, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday announced a free, ticketed state memorial service would be held on February 26th to celebrate the life of the cultural icon.
At the time of Olivia's death, Andrews remembered the star as a “person of grace ... energy, vitality” who left a lasting legacy through her art and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Heidelberg, Melbourne.
“She took her cancer journey and used that to save lives and change lives, and that’s just a deeply impressive thing,” the premier said after her death.
“As a lasting testament to her character and her generous spirit, we have the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre."
“The research that’s done there, the treatment, the care, the love and support that is central to that place is a lasting legacy to the person that she was.”
Now, Australians will be able to say pay tribute to Olivia at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre in Melbourne later this month.
“Her work in cancer research and treatment saved lives and changed lives and her music was the soundtrack to a generation,” Dan Andrews said on Thursday.
“We know Victorians are eager to celebrate the life of a driving force in medical research and an icon of film and music, with a service befitting her international acclaim.”
The service will be free but ticketed in line with the venue’s capacity and members of the public must register to attend, with ticket registrations open at 12pm on February 10th.
The service will also be live-streamed via the state government’s website.
According to Dan Andrews, the delay on the state funeral was unavoidable due to the "outstanding issues" that were holding up the planning process.
Image credits: Getty Images