
When great music from the past meets mind boggling technology from the future, the result is ABBA Voyage. This is a concert like no other. In a purpose built arena designed specifically for the show, massive high resolution LED screens, advanced lighting, and surround sound are used to create a fully immersive ABBA concert experience. Although the group’s last appearance in London was at Wembley Arena in 1979, they return technologically in this extraordinary production. These are not holograms or AI generated performances. This is a meticulously animated concert based on real performances by the band themselves. To achieve this effect, the group came together and re-performed their music using motion capture technology. They partnered with top visual effects experts to digitally recreate their younger selves. While the show includes a live band and backup singers, the Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid seen on stage appear every bit as real as their original counterparts. One quickly forgets that these are projections, and youthful ABBA feels fully present again with all the joy and energy they once brought to the stage. With both fixed seating and a dance floor, the venue accommodates nearly three thousand people, and the performance we attended was completely sold out. The audience was an intergenerational mix that, regardless of age, was utterly captivated by the experience. By the final song, the entire arena was on its feet, singing along and cheering as if the band had truly returned to the stage. Everyone knew the songs and swayed along to hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “SOS,” “Fernando,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” The music is ageless, and in this format, so are the performers. This is an experience that blends novelty and nostalgia in perfect balance. ABBA Voyage is both a glorious journey into the past and an exciting glimpse of the future.
Rated: ★★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Johan Persson
When, Where, Getting there:
- Extended Run
- Thu - Sat: 7:45 pm, Sat: 3 pm, Sun: 1 pm and 6 pm
- ABBA Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
- Nearest station: Pudding Mill Lane
- https://abbavoyage.com