David Hockney memorial set for London in early 2027
A public memorial service celebrating the life of David Hockney is set to be held in London early next year.
The beloved British artist passed away aged 88 on June 11th, leading to an outpouring of tributes for the Yorkshireman, led by Mick Jagger.
However, as per Hockney’s wishes, a private funeral took place last week with only two people in attendance – his partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima and great-nephew, Richard Hockney, both of whom are trustees of the David Hockney Foundation.
Subsequently, representatives of the late artist have now confirmed that the public will have a chance to come together and honour his life and legacy.
No further details have been announced at this stage of what the time, location, and nature of the memorial will be, but it was followed by the news that similar events will also take place in Yorkshire, Paris, and Los Angeles.
Hockney passed away peacefully at home almost two weeks ago, and one month shy of his 89th birthday. Although no cause of death has been revealed, he has left behind an unparalleled legacy in the scores of British artists, many of whom have paid tribute to him.
Jagger led tributes on X at the time, sharing a photo of the artist while writing; “Remembering David Hockney, he was kind and always had a sparkle in his eye. He never stopped experimenting and is one of the finest painters of our generation.”
Hockney was also honoured by the likes of King Charles and Turner Prize winner Tracy Emin, the latter of whom said he was a “dear friend” and “a proud chain-smoking homosexual who flew the flag higher than any other British artist.”
In discussing Hockney’s legacy in a local sense to Yorkshire and Bradford, Far Out’s Ben Forrest also wrote: “As a young man in Bradford, surrounded by the typical Yorkshire attitude of ‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’, the fact that Hockney not only came from the same area, but had the same accent as me, was proof enough that I didn’t have to abandon any artistic dreams in favour of getting a ‘real’, money-making job.”
