Key facts
- A tribute concert for Australian singer John Farnham was held in Melbourne.
- The event was livestreamed to cinemas across Australia, with hundreds gathering in Sydney.
- Céline Dion, Chris Martin, and Hugh Jackman appeared via live telecasts.
- The concert aimed to raise funds for Head and Neck Cancer Australia.
- John Farnham is unable to attend due to requiring 24-hour nursing care and continuous oxygen support following oral cancer treatment in 2022.
- Farnham's last live performance was in February 2020.
Hundreds gathered at a Sydney shopping centre on Sunday evening to watch a livestream of a tribute concert for Australian music legend John Farnham. The event, held in Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, was broadcast to cinemas across Australia, with the host, Richard Wilkins, stating it aimed to set a new livestreaming record for Australian cinemas.
While many artists, including Keith Urban, Human Nature, Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Vanessa Amorosi, and Jessica Mauboy, performed live on stage, Farnham himself was absent. His family confirmed on Saturday that he requires 24-hour nursing care and continuous oxygen support, and uses a wheelchair, necessitating his watching the event from home. Farnham's health has deteriorated in recent months, according to his family.
The concert, titled "the celebration concert" for a "living legend," was also a fundraiser for Head and Neck Cancer Australia, the charity that supported Farnham during his oral cancer battle in 2022. The 77-year-old's surgeries mean he can no longer sing in public, with his last live performance being at a bushfire benefit concert in February 2020.
Special appearances were made via live telecasts by international stars Céline Dion, Chris Martin, and Hugh Jackman. Dion, currently on tour in Paris, performed "You're the Voice," a song she recalled singing with Farnham eight years prior. The concert highlighted the poignant irony of a singer losing his voice due to illness. The audience, a mix of ages, responded with cheers and foot-tapping, with some attendees moved to tears during performances.