Michael Gudinski’s state memorial will be held at Rod Laver Arena
Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena is the venue for Michael Gudinski’s state memorial, reps for the late Mushroom Group founder announced Monday afternoon (8th March).
Gudinski, who passed away suddenly last week at the age of 68, will be remembered 24th March with a special ceremony at the 15,000-capacity arena.
Further details will be shared later this week.
In a statement, Mushroom Group confirms Gudinski’s family have accepted the Victorian state government’s offer of a state memorial to pay homage to the independent music giant’s life and career.
MG will be buried at a private family funeral this week.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with Mushroom’s Chairman and Founder Michael Gudinski
Last Wednesday, Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the late music man would be remembered “somewhere iconic that we can come together and celebrate his life.”
He continued, “It will be a celebration of his life; the details will be finalized in coming days. It’s got to be COVID-safe of course, but I think we will be able to come together in an iconic venue and celebrate his life and the mark that he made and the legacy he leaves.”
The arena is a fitting site for Gudinski’s friends and family to gather. Gudinski produced many shows at Melbourne & Olympic Parks, including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
The arena, which hosts the Australian Open tennis final, was the biggest of its kind in these parts until Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena was completed in 1999.
As news of Gudinski’s death spread last Tuesday, Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP) paid tribute to the music industry pioneer by lighting up Rod Laver Arena and AAMI Park.
Tomorrow night we honour Michael Solomon Gudinski AM with a State Memorial at Rod Laver Arena from 7:07pm AEDT.
— Frontier Touring (@frontiertouring) March 23, 2021
Stream on YouTube: https://t.co/ECLY1s9cVc
Or on https://t.co/knJFTQpo2B: https://t.co/tp8CEYDcfh pic.twitter.com/8q6KJJIZUe
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.