Queen guitarist Sir Brian May was visibly moved to tears after hearing a powerful tribute to Freddie Mercury during the 2025 Polar Music Prize ceremony. The rock legend attended the prestigious event in Stockholm in June alongside drummer Roger Taylor, where they accepted the Polar Music Prize on behalf of Queen. During the ceremony, Swedish artist Miriam Bryant delivered a breathtaking performance of Queen’s anthemic track 'The Show Must Go On', leaving Brian May overwhelmed with emotion.
The song holds extraordinary meaning for the band, marking Queen’s final single before Freddie Mercury ’s death in 1991. Written in 1990, The Show Must Go On was co-created by Brian May and Mercury as a dramatic statement of Freddie’s determination to keep performing, even as he privately battled AIDS. Miriam Bryant’s heartfelt interpretation of the song clearly struck a chord with Brian, who interrupted a live TV interview after the performance to personally thank her.
“That was such a beautiful interpretation,” he told Miriam. “I feel very honoured. She’s amazing – you’re amazing! We’re all like hearts in our mouth, [it was] beautiful.
.. I was just so moved, that was perfect, just perfect.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Brian, now 77, has often spoken about how The Show Must Go On captured Freddie’s courage and spirit during the band’s most painful period. In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, Brian remembered writing the song’s challenging vocals, and .
