Johan Persson
You Can Dance, You Can Jive, Just Like They Did in 1977
By COLIN SIMPSON
(Photo courtesy Grok)
ABBA Voyage, ABBA Arena, London
BACK in the bad old days of Covid and lockdowns we all became used to entertainment and sporting events taking place without spectators. At the ABBA Arena in Stratford, East London, we have the opposite – a concert with a capacity 3,000-strong crowd of joyous, arm-waving fans where the performers are missing.
On stage, in place of Swedish superstars ABBA, are digitally-created three-dimensional figures known as avatars – or rather, ABBAtars. The real Scandi fab four split up in 1982, but now fans can see Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad recreated as they were in their 1977 heyday.
The purpose-built venue for the ABBA Voyage virtual show stands on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the main site of the 2012 Games. The ABBAtars were created using motion-capture technology, with the band members wearing special suits during filming. Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company famous for the Star Wars movies, provided the know-how. The overall budget for the production was reported to be $175 million.
I didn’t know what to expect. Apart from a couple of short promo clips there had been little in the way of previews or trailers. An announcement before the start asked fans to maintain the “magic” of the show by refraining from taking pictures or videoing the performance.
And then there they were, before our very eyes, ABBA as everyone remembered them — ludicrous costumes, platform boots and all!
I spent the first ten minutes trying to work out how it was done. The three-dimensional figures were clearly projected in some way, but beyond that it was impossible to figure it out.
The movement was convincing, and the updated versions of those crazy outfits were dazzling. The musical arrangements – the ABBAtars were accompanied by a live 10-piece band – sounded updated, too. The vocals, as well as the music played by Benny and Björn, were taken from the original recordings.
In addition to standing, dancing and singing centre-stage, the four were at times projected onto giant screens on each side. The figures were not perfect – the women’s faces, in particular, looked slightly robotic when seen close-up.
Johan Persson
All four were a bit taller and thinner than they should have been – though if I were being recreated digitally I’d ask to be made slimmer, too.
Certainly many in the audience were convinced. When Agnetha’s ABBAtar appeared wearing a short blue skirt she was greeted by a wolf whistle. And when she introduced Don’t Shut Me Down someone shouted “Never!” This song and I Still Have Faith in You – both from the 2021 comeback album also called ABBA Voyage – stood up well among all the familiar old crowd-pleasers.
Considerable efforts were made to make the show immersive and interactive. At times band members on the large screens appeared to look directly at individuals in the audience. A personal highlight was when the young, beautiful Agnetha gazed straight at me, pointed and sang:
“My, my, how can I resist you?”
The stage turned black while the ABBAtars supposedly carried out a costume change. The band members took turns to address the crowd – Björn revealed the inspiration for Does Your Mother Know, while Anni-Frid spoke about her upbringing.
At one point the ABBAtars disappeared for a while as an animated film with a Tomb Raider/Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe was shown. Afterwards, a fan in the row in front of me said: “No idea what that’s all about,” a sentiment that others seemed to share. Still, it looked great, as did all the amazing lighting effects.
Johan Persson
ABBA never took themselves too seriously, and this endearing quality was preserved in the virtual show. At one point they gently mocked their OTT costume style, and most of the merchandise was – deliberately, I suspect – pretty naff. ABBA stripey jumper, anyone?
I was never an ABBA fan first time around – I preferred Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. But over the years I came to appreciate the quality of Benny and Björn’s songwriting, the way Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s voices meshed so perfectly, and the sheer joy they gave and – thanks to this production – continue to give to so many.
Irrespective of musical taste, anyone with a pulse would have enjoyed ABBA Voyage, as timeless hit after hit rang out across the arena. SOS, Chiquitita, Fernando, Mamma Mia (of course), Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous, Thank You for the Music, The Winner Takes it All… I bet as you read the titles, you hear the words in your mind. The only downside was that those super-catchy numbers lived in my head for days afterwards.
The setlist has been refreshed with the addition of The Name of the Game and Money, Money, Money at every show, plus either Take a Chance On Me or Super Trouper. These are all some of the best pop songs ever written — and there are so many of them.
There’s an odd thing about some of the songs, the way they combine upbeat, up-tempo music with the saddest lyrics. Knowing Me, Knowing You, for example, sounds at first hearing like a fun, happy number, yet it’s about breaking up. The lines include: “In these old familiar rooms, children would play.
“Now there’s only emptiness, nothing to say.”
Other examples include SOS and even Mamma Mia.
One of my favourites, the mysterious and menacing The Day Before You Came, did not feature. Presumably it was deemed too downbeat for such an uproarious event.
The arena was divided into seated and standing – or dancing – areas. The crowd ranged from teenagers to couples approaching the same age as the band – they are all in their late seventies and early eighties. Groups of middle-aged women, many wearing brightly coloured outfits, seemed particularly up for a good time, and Prosecco figured prominently on the drinks lists at the foyer bars.
I found the show curiously moving, watching this beloved band restored to their youthful peak as they belted out all those wonderful songs, with the fans having the time of their life.
At the start of Thank You for the Music, Agnetha implausibly tells us she’s a “bit of a bore”, but then adds:
“Everyone listens when I start to sing…”
More than 40 years after ABBA split up, everyone still does.
$2.8 Billion Show Draws 4 Million Fans
AT THEIR peak, ABBA were one of Sweden’s biggest exporters. And their ability to generate money, money, money remains undimmed to this day. The virtual show in East London has contributed £2.06 billion ($2.79 billion) in turnover to the UK economy, according to a report released by ABBA Voyage in December 2025. Nineteen per cent of the turnover – £388.7 million – benefited the local area, boosting the regeneration of some of London’s most deprived boroughs.
In April 2026, ABBA announced that an amazing 4 million people had seen the show since it opened in May 2022. Some 20 per cent flocked to London from other countries, with the fan who travelled furthest coming all the way from Dunedin in New Zealand – a distance of 11,873 miles. An earlier report found that 90 per cent of international ticket-buyers travelled specifically to see ABBA Voyage.
Despite all this extraordinary success, the future is uncertain. The plan was that the show would run in Stratford for a number of years, and then the site would be cleared and used for housebuilding. The residency has been extended, however, with tickets available until November 2026.
The venue was designed so that it could be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere. There has been talk of further ABBAtar shows in other countries, with unconfirmed reports suggesting a 2028 opening in New York.
Pophouse, the company co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus to produce ABBA Voyage, has acquired KISS’s back catalogue, image and intellectual property rights. There are plans to feature the rockers in a superhero avatar show opening at a bespoke theatre in Las Vegas in 2028.
In March 2026, Pophouse acquired a majority stake in the music and image rights of the late Tina Turner, though no details of what it plans to do with them have so far been revealed. Projects involving the work of Cyndi Lauper, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii are also under way.
Voyage is, of course, only one of the many ways that the ABBA flame is being kept burning brightly. Best-known are the hit Mamma Mia! jukebox musical and the star-studdied spin-off films — number three is said to be in the works. Then there’s another Pophouse production, Mamma Mia! The Party, a dining and entertainment experience created by Björn that is supposedly set in the Greek taverna seen in the movies. This one is running in London and Stockholm.
Also in the Swedish capital is ABBA The Museum, which features masses of memorabilia including costumes and gold records, plus fun interactive attractions. One section recalls the UK town (now city) of Brighton as it was in 1974 when the band made their name performing Waterloo at the Eurovision Song Contest. Another attraction is a self-playing piano linked to Benny’s piano at home — when he plays, the music is played in real time at the museum. Meanwhile, tribute acts with names like ABBA Re-Björn and Björn Again are packing them in at venues around the world.
May 2026
INFO
BUY TICKETS and find out everything you need to know about the show at the official ABBA Voyage website – you can even order an ABBA jumper there! READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
EXPLORE! Our PLACES page is where you can browse through the Afaranwide travel blog’s posts and check out the destinations that interest you. Updated regularly. READ MORE
INSIDE AN ARAB SHEIKH’S PRIVATE ZOO. Usually these places are strictly out of bounds, but Afaranwide has secured exclusive access. READ MORE
LORD’S AND MCC: Lord’s, the home of cricket, is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club, one of the world’s great sport institutions. Check out our insider’s view of both. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Johan Persson
Thank You for the Music
ABBA-Stars
You Can Dance, You Can Jive, Just Like They Did in 1977
By COLIN SIMPSON
(Photo courtesy Grok)
ABBA Voyage, ABBA Arena, London
BACK in the bad old days of Covid and lockdowns we all became used to entertainment and sporting events taking place without spectators. At the ABBA Arena in Stratford, East London, we have the opposite – a concert with a capacity 3,000-strong crowd of joyous, arm-waving fans where the performers are missing.
On stage, in place of Swedish superstars ABBA, are digitally-created three-dimensional figures known as avatars – or rather, ABBAtars. The real Scandi fab four split up in 1982, but now fans can see Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad recreated as they were in their 1977 heyday.
The purpose-built venue for the ABBA Voyage virtual show stands on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the main site of the 2012 Games. The ABBAtars were created using motion-capture technology, with the band members wearing special suits during filming. Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company famous for the Star Wars movies, provided the know-how. The overall budget for the production was reported to be $175 million.
I didn’t know what to expect. Apart from a couple of short promo clips there had been little in the way of previews or trailers. An announcement before the start asked fans to maintain the “magic” of the show by refraining from taking pictures or videoing the performance. And then there they were, before our very eyes, ABBA as everyone remembered them — ludicrous costumes, platform boots and all!
I spent the first ten minutes trying to work out how it was done. The three-dimensional figures were clearly projected in some way, but beyond that it was impossible to figure it out. The movement was convincing, and the updated versions of those crazy outfits were dazzling. The musical arrangements – the ABBAtars were accompanied by a live 10-piece band – sounded updated, too. The vocals, as well as the music played by Benny and Björn, were taken from the original recordings.
In addition to standing, dancing and singing centre-stage, the four were at times projected onto giant screens on each side. The figures were not perfect – the women’s faces, in particular, looked slightly robotic when seen close-up.
Johan Persson
All four were a bit taller and thinner than they should have been – though if I were being recreated digitally I’d ask to be made slimmer, too. Certainly many in the audience were convinced. When Agnetha’s ABBAtar appeared wearing a short blue skirt she was greeted by a wolf whistle. And when she introduced Don’t Shut Me Down someone shouted “Never!” This song and I Still Have Faith in You – both from the 2021 comeback album also called ABBA Voyage – stood up well among all the familiar old crowd-pleasers.
Considerable efforts were made to make the show immersive and interactive. At times band members on the large screens appeared to look directly at individuals in the audience. A personal highlight was when the young, beautiful Agnetha gazed straight at me, pointed and sang:
“My, my, how can I resist you?”
The stage turned black while the ABBAtars supposedly carried out a costume change. The band members took turns to address the crowd – Björn revealed the inspiration for Does Your Mother Know, while Anni-Frid spoke about her upbringing.
At one point the ABBAtars disappeared for a while as an animated film with a Tomb Raider/Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe was shown. Afterwards, a fan in the row in front of me said: “No idea what that’s all about,” a sentiment that others seemed to share. Still, it looked great, as did all the amazing lighting effects.
Johan Persson
ABBA never took themselves too seriously, and this endearing quality was preserved in the virtual show. At one point they gently mocked their OTT costume style, and most of the merchandise was – deliberately, I suspect – pretty naff. ABBA stripey jumper, anyone?
I was never an ABBA fan first time around – I preferred Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. But over the years I came to appreciate the quality of Benny and Björn’s songwriting, the way Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s voices meshed so perfectly, and the sheer joy they gave and – thanks to this production – continue to give to so many.
Irrespective of musical taste, anyone with a pulse would have enjoyed ABBA Voyage, as timeless hit after hit rang out across the arena. SOS, Chiquitita, Fernando, Mamma Mia (of course), Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous, Thank You for the Music, The Winner Takes it All… I bet as you read the titles, you hear the words in your mind. The only downside was that those super-catchy numbers lived in my head for days afterwards.
The setlist has been refreshed with the addition of The Name of the Game and Money, Money, Money at every show, plus either Take a Chance On Me or Super Trouper. These are all some of the best pop songs ever written — and there are so many of them.
There’s an odd thing about some of the songs, the way they combine upbeat, up-tempo music with the saddest lyrics. Knowing Me, Knowing You, for example, sounds at first hearing like a fun, happy number, yet it’s about breaking up. The lines include:
“In these old familiar rooms, children would play.
“Now there’s only emptiness, nothing to say.”
Other examples include SOS and even Mamma Mia.
One of my favourites, the mysterious and menacing The Day Before You Came, did not feature. Presumably it was deemed too downbeat for such an uproarious event.
The arena was divided into seated and standing – or dancing – areas. The crowd ranged from teenagers to couples approaching the same age as the band – they are all in their late seventies and early eighties. Groups of middle-aged women, many wearing brightly coloured outfits, seemed particularly up for a good time, and Prosecco figured prominently on the drinks lists at the foyer bars.
I found the show curiously moving, watching this beloved band restored to their youthful peak as they belted out all those wonderful songs, with the fans having the time of their life. At the start of Thank You for the Music, Agnetha implausibly tells us she’s a “bit of a bore”, but then adds:
“Everyone listens when I start to sing…”
More than 40 years after ABBA split up, everyone still does.
$2.8 Billion Show Draws 4 Million Fans
AT THEIR peak, ABBA were one of Sweden’s biggest exporters. And their ability to generate money, money, money remains undimmed to this day. The virtual show in East London has contributed £2.06 billion ($2.79 billion) in turnover to the UK economy, according to a report released by ABBA Voyage in December 2025.
Nineteen per cent of the turnover – £388.7 million – benefited the local area, boosting the regeneration of some of London’s most deprived boroughs. In April 2026, ABBA announced that an amazing 4 million people had seen the show since it opened in May 2022. Some 20 per cent flocked to London from other countries, with the fan who travelled furthest coming all the way from Dunedin in New Zealand – a distance of 11,873 miles. An earlier report found that 90 per cent of international ticket-buyers travelled specifically to see ABBA Voyage.
Despite all this extraordinary success, the future is uncertain. The plan was that the show would run in Stratford for a number of years, and then the site would be cleared and used for housebuilding. The residency has been extended, however, with tickets available until November 2026.
The venue was designed so that it could be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere. There has been talk of further ABBAtar shows in other countries, with unconfirmed reports suggesting a 2028 opening in New York.
Pophouse, the company co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus to produce ABBA Voyage, has acquired KISS’s back catalogue, image and intellectual property rights. There are plans to feature the rockers in a superhero avatar show opening at a bespoke theatre in Las Vegas in 2028.
In March 2026, Pophouse acquired a majority stake in the music and image rights of the late Tina Turner, though no details of what it plans to do with them have so far been revealed. Projects involving the work of Cyndi Lauper, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii are also under way.
Voyage is, of course, only one of the many ways that the ABBA flame is being kept burning brightly. Best-known are the hit Mamma Mia! jukebox musical and the star-studdied spin-off films — number three is said to be in the works. Then there’s another Pophouse production, Mamma Mia! The Party, a dining and entertainment experience created by Björn that is supposedly set in the Greek taverna seen in the movies. This one is running in London and Stockholm.
Also in the Swedish capital is ABBA The Museum, which features masses of memorabilia including costumes and gold records, plus fun interactive attractions. One section recalls the UK town (now city) of Brighton as it was in 1974 when the band made their name performing Waterloo at the Eurovision Song Contest. Another attraction is a self-playing piano linked to Benny’s piano at home — when he plays, the music is played in real time at the museum.
Meanwhile, tribute acts with names like ABBA Re-Björn and Björn Again are packing them in at venues around the world.
May 2026
INFO
BUY TICKETS and find out everything you need to know about the show at the official ABBA Voyage website – you can even order an ABBA jumper there! READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
EXPLORE! Our PLACES page is where you can browse through the Afaranwide travel blog’s posts and check out the destinations that interest you. Updated regularly. READ MORE
INSIDE AN ARAB SHEIKH’S PRIVATE ZOO. Usually these places are strictly out of bounds, but Afaranwide has secured exclusive access. READ MORE
LORD’S AND MCC: Lord’s, the home of cricket, is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club, one of the world’s great sport institutions. Check out our insider’s view of both. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Johan Persson
Thank You for the Music
ABBA-Stars
You Can Dance, You Can Jive, Just Like They Did in 1977
By COLIN SIMPSON
(Photo courtesy Grok)
ABBA Voyage, ABBA Arena, London
BACK in the bad old days of Covid and lockdowns we all became used to entertainment and sporting events taking place without spectators.
At the ABBA Arena in Stratford, East London, we have the opposite – a concert with a capacity 3,000-strong crowd of joyous, arm-waving fans where the performers are missing.
On stage, in place of Swedish superstars ABBA, are digitally-created three-dimensional figures known as avatars – or rather, ABBAtars. The real Scandi fab four split up in 1982, but now fans can see Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad recreated as they were in their 1977 heyday.
The purpose-built venue for the ABBA Voyage virtual show stands on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the main site of the 2012 Games. The ABBAtars were created using motion-capture technology, with the band members wearing special suits during filming. Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company famous for the Star Wars movies, provided the know-how. The overall budget for the production was reported to be $175 million.
I didn’t know what to expect. Apart from a couple of short promo clips there had been little in the way of previews or trailers. An announcement before the start asked fans to maintain the “magic” of the show by refraining from taking pictures or videoing the performance.
And then there they were, before our very eyes, ABBA as everyone remembered them — ludicrous costumes, platform boots and all!
I spent the first ten minutes trying to work out how it was done. The three-dimensional figures were clearly projected in some way, but beyond that it was impossible to figure it out.
The movement was convincing, and the updated versions of those crazy outfits were dazzling. The musical arrangements – the ABBAtars were accompanied by a live 10-piece band – sounded updated, too. The vocals, as well as the music played by Benny and Björn, were taken from the original recordings.
In addition to standing, dancing and singing centre-stage, the four were at times projected onto giant screens on each side. The figures were not perfect – the women’s faces, in particular, looked slightly robotic when seen close-up
Johan Persson
All four were a bit taller and thinner than they should have been – though if I were being recreated digitally I’d ask to be made slimmer, too. Certainly many in the audience were convinced. When Agnetha’s ABBAtar appeared wearing a short blue skirt she was greeted by a wolf whistle. And when she introduced Don’t Shut Me Down someone shouted “Never!” This song and I Still Have Faith in You – both from the 2021 comeback album also called ABBA Voyage – stood up well among all the familiar old crowd-pleasers.
Considerable efforts were made to make the show immersive and interactive. At times band members on the large screens appeared to look directly at individuals in the audience. A personal highlight was when the young, beautiful Agnetha gazed straight at me, pointed and sang:
“My, my, how can I resist you?”
The stage turned black while the ABBAtars supposedly carried out a costume change. The band members took turns to address the crowd – Björn revealed the inspiration for Does Your Mother Know, while Anni-Frid spoke about her upbringing.
At one point the ABBAtars disappeared for a while as an animated film with a Tomb Raider/Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe was shown. Afterwards, a fan in the row in front of me said: “No idea what that’s all about,” a sentiment that others seemed to share. Still, it looked great, as did all the amazing lighting effects.
Johan Persson
ABBA never took themselves too seriously, and this endearing quality was preserved in the virtual show. At one point they gently mocked their OTT costume style, and most of the merchandise was – deliberately, I suspect – pretty naff. ABBA stripey jumper, anyone?
I was never an ABBA fan first time around – I preferred Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. But over the years I came to appreciate the quality of Benny and Björn’s songwriting, the way Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s voices meshed so perfectly, and the sheer joy they gave and – thanks to this production – continue to give to so many.
Irrespective of musical taste, anyone with a pulse would have enjoyed ABBA Voyage, as timeless hit after hit rang out across the arena. SOS, Chiquitita, Fernando, Mamma Mia (of course), Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous, Thank You for the Music, The Winner Takes it All… I bet as you read the titles, you hear the words in your mind. The only downside was that those super-catchy numbers lived in my head for days afterwards.
The setlist has been refreshed with the addition of The Name of the Game and Money, Money, Money at every show, plus either Take a Chance On Me or Super Trouper. These are all some of the best pop songs ever written — and there are so many of them.
There’s an odd thing about some of the songs, the way they combine upbeat, up-tempo music with the saddest lyrics. Knowing Me, Knowing You, for example, sounds at first hearing like a fun, happy number, yet it’s about breaking up. The lines include:
“In these old familiar rooms, children would play.
“Now there’s only emptiness, nothing to say.”
Other examples include SOS and even Mamma Mia.
One of my favourites, the mysterious and menacing The Day Before You Came, did not feature. Presumably it was deemed too downbeat for such an uproarious event.
The arena was divided into seated and standing – or dancing – areas.
The crowd ranged from teenagers to couples approaching the same age as the band – they are all in their late seventies and early eighties. Groups of middle-aged women, many wearing brightly coloured outfits, seemed particularly up for a good time, and Prosecco figured prominently on the drinks lists at the foyer bars.
I found the show curiously moving, watching this beloved band restored to their youthful peak as they belted out all those wonderful songs, with the fans having the time of their life.
At the start of Thank You for the Music, Agnetha implausibly tells us she’s a “bit of a bore”, but then adds:
“Everyone listens when I start to sing…”
More than 40 years after ABBA split up, everyone still does.
$2.8 Billion Show Draws 4 Million Fans
AT THEIR peak, ABBA were one of Sweden’s biggest exporters. And their ability to generate money, money, money remains undimmed to this day. The virtual show in East London has contributed £2.06 billion ($2.79 billion) in turnover to the UK economy, according to a report released by ABBA Voyage in December 2025.
Nineteen per cent of the turnover – £388.7 million – benefited the local area, boosting the regeneration of some of London’s most deprived boroughs.
In April 2026, ABBA announced that an amazing 4 million people had seen the show since it opened in May 2022. Some 20 per cent flocked to London from other countries, with the fan who travelled furthest coming all the way from Dunedin in New Zealand – a distance of 11,873 miles. An earlier report found that 90 per cent of international ticket-buyers travelled specifically to see ABBA Voyage.
Despite all this extraordinary success, the future is uncertain. The plan was that the show would run in Stratford for a number of years, and then the site would be cleared and used for housebuilding. The residency has been extended, however, with tickets available until November 2026.
The venue was designed so that it could be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere. There has been talk of further ABBAtar shows in other countries, with unconfirmed reports suggesting a 2028 opening in New York.
Pophouse, the company co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus to produce ABBA Voyage, has acquired KISS’s back catalogue, image and intellectual property rights. There are plans to feature the rockers in a superhero avatar show opening at a bespoke theatre in Las Vegas in 2028.
In March 2026, Pophouse acquired a majority stake in the music and image rights of the late Tina Turner, though no details of what it plans to do with them have so far been revealed.
Projects involving the work of Cyndi Lauper, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii are also under way.
Voyage is, of course, only one of the many ways that the ABBA flame is being kept burning brightly. Best-known are the hit Mamma Mia! jukebox musical and the star-studdied spin-off films — number three is said to be in the works.
Then there’s another Pophouse production, Mamma Mia! The Party, a dining and entertainment experience created by Björn that is supposedly set in the Greek taverna seen in the movies. This one is running in London and Stockholm.
Also in the Swedish capital is ABBA The Museum, which features masses of memorabilia including costumes and gold records, plus fun interactive attractions. One section recalls the UK town (now city) of Brighton as it was in 1974 when the band made their name performing Waterloo at the Eurovision Song Contest. Another attraction is a self-playing piano linked to Benny’s piano at home — when he plays, the music is played in real time at the museum.
Meanwhile, tribute acts with names like ABBA Re-Björn and Björn Again are packing them in at venues around the world.
May 2026
INFO
BUY TICKETS and find out everything you need to know about the show at the official ABBA Voyage website – you can even order an ABBA jumper there! READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
EXPLORE! Our PLACES page is where you can browse through the Afaranwide travel blog’s posts and check out the destinations that interest you. Updated regularly. READ MORE
INSIDE AN ARAB SHEIKH’S PRIVATE ZOO. Usually these places are strictly out of bounds, but Afaranwide has secured exclusive access. READ MORE
LORD’S AND MCC: Lord’s, the home of cricket, is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club, one of the world’s great sport institutions. Check out our insider’s view of both. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
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