Nearly four months after a devastating New Year’s Day fire claimed 41 lives at a popular Swiss alpine ski resort, hundreds of people gathered Wednesday for an emotional tribute benefit concert to honor those lost and support survivors of the tragedy.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of January 1 at Le Constellation bar, a nightlife venue in the upscale resort town of Crans-Montana. Most of the fatalities were teenagers, and 115 more people were injured in the inferno; 38 survivors remain in hospitals and rehabilitation centers receiving ongoing care for physical and psychological trauma. Wednesday’s concert, held at Lausanne’s Salle Metropole theatre, welcomed victim family members and survivors, creating a space for collective mourning and shared solidarity.
As the event opened, performing artists walked onto the stage to *Etoile de nos coeurs* (“Star of our Hearts”), a ballad written in memory of the victims, and lined up across the platform holding pure white roses. Before the performances began, family members gathered in the theatre’s foyer, where hugs mingled with soft tears and faint, bittersweet smiles.
Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, a mother who lost her 16-year-old son Arthur in the fire, described the gathering as an act of enduring remembrance. “It’s about solidarity. To all the victims, up there or here on Earth, it means one thing: we haven’t forgotten you,” she told reporters. “We’re in survival mode. Half of our hearts have been ripped away. This event keeps alive the memory of all those who were hurt, both physically and emotionally.”
Vincianne Stucky, whose 17-year-old son Trystan Pidoux died in the blaze, shared the same priority: preventing the young victims from fading from public memory. “I truly don’t want the children to be forgotten; that’s my greatest fear,” she said. “I find tonight’s concert magnificent because it will help, in particular, the burns victims.” For one badly injured survivor, the concert marked their first public appearance since the fire.
All participating artists performed pro bono, and ticket prices ranged from 90 Swiss francs ($115). All proceeds from the event will go to Swisshearts, a support association founded by parents who lost children in the tragedy.
Among the featured performers was Gjon’s Tears, the Swiss vocalist who placed third at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. At 27, he said he felt a particularly close connection to the victims, most of whom were young adults and teens out celebrating a holiday. “These were young people who just wanted to party and have fun,” he said. “Being close in age to the majority of the victims… I think we can relate to it.”
Veteran French-Italian singer Richard Cocciante, 80, also took the stage, noting music’s unique power to comfort grieving communities. “We need to think about the people who are no longer here,” he said. “Music certainly helps; I don’t know if it can heal, but it helps.”
The concert was organized by Olivier and Corine Uzan, event managers based in Crans-Montana who were hosting a New Year’s Eve event just 200 meters (656 feet) from Le Constellation the night of the fire. “We were shocked, because we knew some of the victims,” Corine Uzan said. “It’s a tragedy that could have been avoided — that’s the worst part. What we want is to bring a little light and joy… music brings people together.”
In the aftermath of the disaster, 13 people are currently facing criminal investigation linked to the fire. The list includes the bar’s owners and several current and former local government officials, as authorities work to determine what safety failures led to the deadly blaze.