With the death of the vocalist Marie Fredriksson in 2019, the Roxette definitively ended activities on stage. Due to the artist’s fragile health, diagnosed with brain cancer, the band had performed the last shows of their career in 2016, as part of the tour commemorating 30 years of their career.
Per Gessle, vocalist, guitarist and main composer, continued with his solo work. In 2022, she set up a new group called PG Roxettewith the participation of singers Helena Josefsson It is Dea Norberg, as a way of keeping “Roxette’s legacy alive”. Now, he has announced the band’s return under its original name for 2025, with a new member, as well as a live show.
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In this new phase, the Swedish Lena Philipssonwho participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, will be in charge of vocals. Clarence Öfwermanproducer and keyboardist of the duo in the past, and Jonas Isacssonguitarist, will resume their positions.
They will complete the training Christopher Lundquist (low), Magnus Börjeson (low), Magnus “Norpan” Eriksson (battery) and the aforementioned Dea Norberg (backing vocals). They have all worked with Gessle or Roxette himself in the past.
Announcement on social media
The band shared a statement about it on social media. According to the text, the main intention is to celebrate the trajectory of the duo and their songs, composed mainly by the guitarist, which have survived time.
The note says:
“In 2016, Roxette played what we believed to be their last shows ever. Now, the duo’s lead singer, songwriter and founder, Per Gessle, continues the legacy and takes these global hits on the road again. It has been almost five years since Roxette lost Marie Fredriksson to cancer. A devastating loss, which left family, friends and fans in mourning. His legacy of music has continued to thrive, constantly being streamed, played and enjoyed by old and new fans across the world. 2025 will feature a live revival of this catalogue, all composed by Per Gessle, as the guitarist takes the band Roxette back to the stage to do what he loves most: perform their music live to a loyal audience.”
Finally, Per himself highlights that Marie is irreplaceable and that the focus will be on the repertoire:
“This comeback is about my Roxette songs, this large amount of music and lyrics that I have been composing for more than three decades. I’m not starting a new duo. Marie will always be irreplaceable. However, I am very lucky to have found an incredible voice and a brilliant performer in Lena Philipsson. I co-wrote Lena’s first big hit in 1986 [‘Kärleken är evig’] and she is one of Sweden’s brightest stars. I am extremely proud that she wants to join me on my journey to keep the Roxette legacy alive.”
Some shows have already been announced, under the show title “Roxette In Concert”. The first of them takes place on February 25, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa, while the second is scheduled for Pretoria, in the same country. The choices present a certain symbolism, given that Roxette’s final performances years ago took place precisely at the location.
Next, the group will go to Australia, where they have a series of commitments in March. According to a post from the Roxette Blog fan club, Per Gessle told the Efter Fem program that the first dates will function as “tests”. If successful, other destinations will be added to the agenda.
It is worth noting that, on May 3rd, Per launched a partnership with Lena. Called “Sällskapssjuk”, the track will be part of the artist’s next album, which should be released later this year.
About Roxette
Roxette officially ended its activities in 2019, with the death of singer Marie Fredriksson due to a brain tumor. The classic duo’s last performance took place years earlier, in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 8, 2016, as part of a celebration of their 30th anniversary.
More shows were on the agenda, but ended up being canceled due to the vocalist’s health problems. The duo’s last visit to Brazil took place in 2012 with the “Charm School World Tour”, which included performances in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Curitiba and Brasília.
Since then, Per Gessle has continued his solo career, which began in 1983, with an album of the same name. So far, “Pop-Up Dynamo!” (2022) is his most recent unpublished work.
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