Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower, located on Viðey island off the coast of Reykjavík, will be lit in a ceremony tonight to mark what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. The white stone monument, which emits a tower of light that illuminates the sky, was conceived by Ono in memory of her late husband. The yearly lighting is normally open to the public, but this year it will be streamed instead.
“I hope you will join us in celebrating the relighting of IMAGINE PEACE TOWER,” Ono wrote in a Facebook post, “in Iceland and around the world. Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world.”
The Peace Tower’s light extends upward at least 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) on a clear night. The words “Imagine Peace” are inscribed on the monument in 24 languages. The tower is lit every year from October 9th, Lennon’s birthday, through December 8th, the date of his assassination.
This year, New York’s empire state building was also lit blue in honour of Lennon’s birthday.
Readers can watch the lighting ceremony on the Peace Tower’s official website tonight at 9.00pm UTC.
