Sting headlines concert near Auschwitz

Sting [Wikimedia Commons photo]

British rock star Sting headlined a music festival focused on peace and life this past weekend near a site known for quite the opposite.

Situated in Oswiecim, the town near Auschwitz, the largest Nazi death camp, the three-year-old Life Festival aims to change the way people view the municipality. Instead of focusing on death, it casts a spotlight on peace, life and culture.

According to its website, "The main concept of the festival is to build peaceful relations beyond cultural and state borders where there is no place for anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of xenophobia."

The festival has previously hosted international musicians such as James Blunt and Peter Gabriel.