The ABBA “Voyage” concert residency has been extended to November 2023 due to demand. The show at Queen Elizabeth’s Olympic Park, which features avatar versions of the pop icons, will now be running until this time next year.
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ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad have all spoken of their hopes and fears for the experience, with Ulvaeus admitting that sometimes the risks involved make him “wake up at four in the morning.” With this extended run, it appears as if Ulvaeus’ fears won’t come into fruition any time soon.
The superstar Swedish group, with the exception of Agnetha Fältskog, spoke to the Sunday Times shortly before the show initially premiered, which opened at the new ABBA Arena in London on May 27. They all expressed their excitement about the revolutionary production, which features digital “ABBAtars” performing the group’s original music with a ten-piece live band, in a 100-minute concert.
“It’s an immense risk, and most people I talk to don’t appreciate that. They say ‘Oh, it’ll be fine,” confessed Ulvaeus. “Sometimes I wake up at four in the morning and think, ‘What the hell have we done?’” But Andersson also acknowledged that the production, which is estimated to have cost £15 million, will be scrutinized by other veteran groups as the potential future to extend their concert shelf lives. “Lots of artists are going to be studying us, definitely,” he says, but declines to say which.
