Patti Smith recalls Asturias tribute during London interview

During the London Literary Festival at the Southbank Centre, singer Patti Smith shared an emotional memory with Dua Lipa regarding her recent visit to Spain. While discussing her memoirs, ‘Pan de ángeles’, Smith recounted a surprise tribute she received in Oviedo following her receipt of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts.

Smith described how approximately 3,000 people, organized through 90 different choral groups, gathered at the former La Vega Arms Factory to perform her song ‘People Have the Power’. The artist noted that the experience was deeply personal, as the song was composed with her late husband, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, who passed away in 1994. She expressed that seeing the diverse groups, including children, perform the harmonies was a wonderful experience that fulfilled her husband's wish for the song to serve as an anthem for people in difficult times.