Radio stations across Europe and the UK, including the BBC, have joined forces to simultaneously play “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Gerry & The Pacemakers in a show of solidarity and togetherness in this time of social distancing brought on by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. 

The initiative was initially kicked off by Dutch 3FM DJ Sander Hoogendoorn on Tuesday, when he called a fellow DJ at NPO Radio 2 and asked him to join him in playing the song. Later, other foreign radio stations followed suit, leading to the song sounding simultaneously in 31 countries on Friday. According to a list published by 3FM  the Netherlands, Curacao, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Bulgaria, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Georgia, Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Switzerland, Denmark, Ireland, France, Cyprus, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Norway, Slovenia, Italy, Moldova, Montenegro, Sweden and the Czech Republic all joined in the moment of unity.

DJ Sander Hoogendoorn explained: “We all have to do what we can to beat this crisis. Things like this just go beyond the boundaries of radio channels. [The song] could speak to those doing an incredible job working in healthcare right now, those who are ill or those who can’t leave their house for a while.”

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” has been an anthem of solidarity decades, sung by massed chorus’ of supporters at football clubs around the world on matchday. The tradition originated from Liverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single by local Liverpool lads Gerry and the Pacemakers. 

Gerry & The Pacemakers | “You'll Never Walk Alone”

The stirring anthem ha rapidly become a global symbol of support and encouragement to medical staff, first responders and all those impacted by the spread of coronavirus. Join the movement and listen to You’ll Never Walk Alone on Spotify:

Listen to You’ll Never Walk Alone on Apple Music: