Over in Stratford, just beside Pudding Mill Lane DLR station, ABBA are back in town. ABBA Voyage is part theatre, part concert, part video experience, bringing Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Frida (Anni-Frid) back in their youth as ‘ABBAtars’.
It’s digital video technology at its best. When you have a 3,000 seater arena all singing the chorus of “Fernando”, you can easily forget that the four members of the band are not actually there.
Opening the concert with the lesser-known “The Visitors” is a gamble set to appeal to committed, long-term fans. But never fear, all your favourites are here from “SOS” to “Gimme Gimme Gimme”, from “Chiquitita” to “Mamma Mia”.
Amidst the impressive lighting of beams, flashes and waves, a couple of songs are presented almost as promo features for the ABBAtars. “Knowing Me, Knowing You” allows close-up work; “Lay All Your Love On Me” has futuristic costumes and effects.
We were at the back of Block K – the perfect spot for observing everything from the screens to the audience. The live band and backing singers are on a platform at the side, the ABBAtars projected on the back screen. Their entrance in shadow is surreal; by their exit, it is hard to believe they were never there.
The production clearly costs millions to put on, not least with the tech work from Industrial Light & Magic. The apparent ease of mixing computer-generated imagery with live musicians makes for a smooth experience.
No worries about late starts, dodgy mics, or costume glitches. There’s a moment where Bjorn is supposed to have an issue changing to add a bit of charm, but this is a slick show churning out the hits and some. What you don’t get are the moments of true connection in a unique experience between band and audience.
For the project, itself years in the making, the four members of ABBA recorded a new album for the first time in 40 years. We hear two tracks from it in ABBA Voyage, proving the magic hasn’t dulled with age. ABBA may be in the 8th and 9th decades as people, but the brand and the sound are immortal.
Does it live up to the hype? The ABBAtars are certainly as realistic as you can get, if rather more flattering than the real faces in their prime. Gestures, movement and choreography all add to the illusion. I wonder if this kind of technology could stretch to other music events and concerts in the future.
It is hard to find fault with this show. Some may quibble at the use of animation in the Studio Ghibli style for “Eagle” – my personal favourite track- and “Voulez-Vous”, but it adds interest.
The live band get their turn, too, with a rock-out version of “Does Your Mother Know”, helped by the vocals of Natalia Brown, Verity Jones, and Anthonia Edwards. The Hero Band comprises guitarists Fernando Sanchez, Christian Mendoza, and Matt Round; Anna Kirby on saxophone; Manuel Hollendohner on drums; and Tuca Milan on percussion.
As this sells out quickly whenever a batch of tickets is released – for seating, dance floor, or one of the dance booths – it doesn’t really matter what I think, but my first visit with the ABBAtars was one I would happily repeat again. The investment has been well spent, and with three shows linked to ABBA now running in London (Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre, and Mamma Mia: The Party at the O2), the interest in the Swedish quartet shows no sign of diminishing.
I’m giving this four stars.
It brought back some memories, and I did feel emotionally invested, as well as buying in completely to the computer trickery involved. I’m not entirely convinced about this innovation replacing real, live musicians, and wonder how it might evolve in the future as part of the wider artificial intelligence debate.
ABBA Voyage continues at the ABBA Arena, booking until Nov 2026.
Photo credit: Johan Persson