Oliver Tree Memorial Service Set for July 25 With Public Livestream

Oliver Tree's memorial service and celebration of life is scheduled for July 25 at the UCSC Quarry Amphitheater in Santa Cruz, California, the city where the artist was born. Due to limited capacity for family and friends, a public livestream will be made available, with details on how to watch coming soon.

Oliver Tree Nickell passed away on June 14 at 32 years old following a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, while traveling South America on his World's First World Tour. Five others died in the crash alongside him.

Oliver Tree's Music, Legacy, and the Foundation Carrying His Vision Forward

Tree's final studio album, Love You Madly Hate You Badly, was released in April via Atlantic Records and marked a personal turning point. For the first time across his discography, he dropped the alter egos and fictional characters he'd built his career on and presented himself without a persona. It was, by all accounts, his most honest work.

His debut major-label album, Ugly Is Beautiful, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock and Alternative Albums chart in 2020. His collaboration with Robin Schulz, "Miss You," became a global hit and earned a BRIT Award nomination for Best International Song in 2024. "Life Goes On" reached No. 7 on Hot Rock and Alternative Songs and pushed him into a worldwide audience.

Tree's family has released a full obituary describing him as someone who "cared so deeply about spreading art, joy, laughter and love into the world." His "Ugly Is Beautiful" mantra was more than a marketing line. It was a genuine philosophy he lived and performed around.

In anticipation of his death, Tree had already outlined a nonprofit in his will: Dr. Oliver Tree's Extremely Epic Art Grant for Baby Geniuses. The foundation provides grants to artists working in music, film, installation, and performance art, rooted in his belief that the best way to develop as an artist is to create, not study. Donations can be made at olivertreefoundation.com.

For independent artists and creators, that foundation is worth paying attention to. It is not a legacy project cooked up by a label or an estate looking to manage a brand. Tree built it himself, before he was gone, with his own money and his own mission. If you make music, film, or installation work and you are early in your craft, this is a grant program worth following.

Livestream details for the July 25 memorial have not been announced yet. Keep an eye on official channels for that information as it becomes available. If you are a Los Angeles creator who wants to connect with other artists building in Oliver Tree's spirit, check out what's happening in the community at [/events](/events).