DistantNews
Support us
🇵🇦 Panama /Culture & Society

Fans in Switzerland celebrate what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Queen fans gathered in extravagant costumes at Freddie Mercury’s statue in Montreux for what would have been his 80th birthday.
  • The five-day celebration included tributes at the statue, performances and events at the former Mountain Studios, where Queen recorded six albums.
  • Organizers expected 14,000 to 16,000 visitors, while Mercury’s sister Kashmira Bulsara joined the festivities by cutting the birthday cake.

Thousands of Queen fans sang and celebrated beside Freddie Mercury’s statue in Montreux, Switzerland, marking what would have been the legendary singer’s 80th birthday. Many wore flamboyant outfits inspired by Mercury, who settled in the town during his final years and made his last recordings there.

Fans traveled from around the world, including Sonia, who came from Canberra. “It’s a special birthday, so I had to make the effort to come and celebrate Freddie,” she said. Visitors also came from Feltham, near London’s Heathrow Airport, where Mercury’s Parsi family settled after fleeing Tanzania in 1964.

It’s a special birthday, so I had to make the effort to come and celebrate Freddie.

· SoniaA fan who traveled from Canberra explained why she attended the Montreux celebration.

The bronze statue, erected beside Lake Geneva in 1996, was covered with balloons, flowers and tributes. Queen’s appreciation and Mercury’s reputation have continued to grow since his death in 1991 at the age of 45 from bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS. The band owned Mountain Studios at the Montreux Casino and recorded six albums there. The former studio is now a Queen exhibition where visitors can use the mixing desk.

Such a beautiful song that celebrates life at that point in his life.

· James PerkinThe guitarist discussed Mercury’s final song, “A Winter’s Tale.”

James Perkin played the desk while working on “A Winter’s Tale,” the last song Mercury wrote. Perkin, a guitarist with the band Don’t Stop Queen Now, called it “such a beautiful song that celebrates life at that point in his life.” His band was due to perform at the closing of the celebrations on Sunday.

The event has been held every year since 2003 and has grown over time. Volunteer organizer Lucien Muller expected between 14,000 and 16,000 visitors. “I wouldn’t say it’s a community, I’d say it’s a family. We all come to celebrate, have fun and enjoy ourselves,” he said. Saturday’s activities ended when Mercury’s sister, Kashmira Bulsara, cut the birthday cake. Fans sang “Happy Birthday” before continuing the party through the night.

I wouldn’t say it’s a community, I’d say it’s a family. We all come to celebrate, have fun and enjoy ourselves.

· Lucien MullerThe volunteer organizer described the atmosphere among attendees.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog