Australia is set to pay tribute to the remarkable life of Dame Olivia Newton-John with a State Memorial Service on Sunday, February 26.
The event will be broadcast live nationally on Channel 9 and 9Now from 3:30 pm AEDT. The service will be held at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne and hosted by Alicia Loxley and Tony Jones.
Channel 7 is set to broadcast the event for Victorian from 3:30pm AEDT – Seven’s coverage will be hosted by 7NEWS Melbourne presenters Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern, and will be live streamed nationally on 7plus.
The event is also set to broadcast nationally on the ABC NEWS Channel and iview from 4pm AEDT.
Olivia, a beloved singer and actress, passed away on August 8, 2022, after a 30-year battle with breast cancer. She was 73 years old. The State Memorial Service will provide an opportunity for the nation to celebrate Olivia’s life and her extraordinary accomplishments.
Over a career spanning six decades, Olivia released 28 studio albums and six live albums, won four Grammy Awards, topped the charts multiple times, and sold over 100 million records worldwide.
She is most famously known for her role as Sandy in the 1978 musical film Grease, starring alongside John Travolta. The iconic movie produced hits such as Summer Nights and You’re the One That I Want and earned Olivia a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy).
Despite being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, Olivia used her experience to raise cancer awareness and research funds. She established the Olivia Newton-John Wellness and Research Centre (ONJWRC) in partnership with Austin Health in 2012. The ONJWRC offers treatment, education, training, and research facilities and has a dedicated wellness area for the mind, body, and spirit.
Dame Olivia Newton-John will be remembered for her exceptional work on stage and screen, as well as her philanthropy and advocacy. She founded National Tree Day in Australia and established the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which supports global research into plant medicine for cancer treatments.
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – STATE MEMORIAL SERVICE – Sunday on Channel 9 & 9Now
Sydney, Melbourne & Perth: 3.30pm
Brisbane: 2.30pm
Adelaide: 3.00pm
