The 2018 news of famed producer and DJ Avicii’s tragic death at the age of just 28 in Oman still feels like a shock.

The performer sadly ended his own life. His parents started the Tim Bergling Foundation, after Avicii’s real name, to raise mental health awareness. This foundation, along with Space, owned by the Pophouse Entertainment Group are joining forces on a wonderful project to honour the young DJ. A museum to be called “Avicii Experience” is being constructed and will be located at Space with opening scheduled for mid-2021. 

Avicii Experience will form part of a new digital cultural centre in Stockholm, the town in which Bergling was born. It will include exhibits, photographs, memorabilia and even some of the late DJ’s previously unreleased work. A spokesperson for Pophouse Entertainment Group, chief executive Per Sundin, has confirmed one of the exhibits will be a life story of Bergling, capturing his childhood and subsequent rise to fame as one of the most celebrated and influential digital artists of his generation.

Avicii began his career as a DJ at the tender age of eight, when he began experimenting with mixing in his bedroom at his family’s home. In 2011, he released the track “Levels” which saw him catapult to the top of charts worldwide and become an instant household name. The progressive house piece samples the 1962 R&B hit from Etta James “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and was hailed as innovative, receiving praise from music fans and critics alike. The track has been featured in TV shows, movies and undergone several covers and remixes of its own since its release.

Bergling released two studio albums and embarked on three world tours before announcing semi-retirement in 2015 citing health concerns. He would continue to make music, and by the time of his passing in 2018, was reported to have more than 200 unreleased pieces of work. A posthumous album was released in 2019, entitled simply, “Tim.” 

This museum is only the latest beautiful tribute to a man whose life, talent and later struggles with mental health have inspired us all. His loss was a tragedy. But he will live on through his music and the profoundly positive impact he had on loved ones and those privileged to have worked with him.

Author: Harley Houghton

Harley Houghton is a writer and blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. Her passions include music, especially metal, gaming and comics. Check out her blog www.harleysmadhouse.com and follow her on Twitter.