Abba member Björn Ulvaeus has said he doesn’t know if the Abba Voyage virtual concerts will continue if one of his bandmates dies.
The musician and composer, 80, became an international star alongside Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 79, Agnetha Faltskog, 75, and Benny Andersson, 78, after the group swept to victory as the first Swedish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.
Since May 2022, Abba Voyage has seen the band represented on stage by digital avatars, or “Abbatars”, performing all their classic hits such as “Dancing Queen” and “Gimme Gimme Gimme” alongside a live band at the purpose-built Abba Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
Asked on Times Radio if the concerts will continue after a band member has died, Ulvaeus replied: “That’s a question I’ve never had before… I honestly don’t know, hadn’t thought about that.
“It’s good you raise that question – I’ll talk to the others about that as we need to decide beforehand between us if it’s OK for all four of us to go on after we’re gone.”
The 2022 opening night of Abba Voyage saw Fältskog, Ulvaeus, Andersson and Lyngstad make their first public appearance together in 14 years.
Voyage was also the name of the band’s first album in almost four decades, which they announced at the time with two comeback singles: “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”. The album broke the record for most pre-orders ever and topped the UK charts.
In her five star review on the Abba Voyage concert, The Independent’s Jessie Thompson wrote: “The set-list is mostly crowd-pleasing: ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘SOS’ and ‘Waterloo’ are all here, with a restrained number of songs from the new album. The naff costumes have had a glow up from Dolce & Gabbana, and choreographer Wayne McGregor has helped to recreate the band’s original moves, which are endearingly low-energy.
“Abba Voyage preserves their achievement as the world’s greatest pop band forever, and fans will be able to take leave of their senses to the chorus of ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ for as long as they still want to.”
You can buy Abba Voyage tickets from the production’s official website, with availability dates currently showing until January 2026. Seated ticket prices start at £38.50, with standing entry access from £55.
