ABBA Voyage ★★★★★★

After a thirty-nine year hiatus, in September 2021, ABBA announced a revolutionary new concert, five years in the making, that would see Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid performing digitally with a live 10-piece band, in a purpose-built “ABBA Arena” at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Recs were lucky enough to watch a premiere of this highly anticipated show and my goodness, What an experience it is!

Beginning even as you approach the arena, looking like a black spaceship emblazoned with ‘ABBA’ in 20ft high rainbow coloured LED letters on two sides, you know no expense has been spared and something very special is ahead of you. From the moment you step onto site and are greeted by a crew of smiling, welcome hosts, branded with the pop group’s iconic name, it’s not like arriving at any normal arena or concert, this is ABBA’s arena and expectations are high and are certainly met.

It’s only fair to take a moment to comment on the spectacular design of this venue. Who other than ABBA have the gravitas to build their own place of pilgrimage for their fans, in one of the busiest cities in the world. The brief was clearly to push boundaries and look into the future further than most of us who stare into our mirrors each morning dare to imagine. The food counters and bars are located in the indoor-outdoor entrance to the arena and have been expertly designed to have ample space for its 3,000 guests and very much invite you in to get the party started with an array of ABBA accredited beverages.

At the moment the arena doors opened the excitement was already growing as you’re lead up a ramp into a colourfully-lit entrance, continuing the feel like you’re embarking on your own ‘Voyage’ by ascending into the spaceship. You enter the arena itself to find yourself in the dark, industrial shell of the ship, an illustrated snowy woodland scene (presumably somewhere in the north of Sweden) projected onto three large panels of gauze in front of you, obscuring any view of the iconic pop group’s set and stage.

With such a highly-anticipated return of the world’s most successful pop group (albeit digitally), the opening to this show was never going to be less than heart racing, emotional and perfectly curated, but it’s hard to believe your eyes as the band enter up through the floor, sequins, piano and all four members in their 1970’s styling in tow… well that journey didn’t take long, somehow it’s 1974?! How on earth is this happening??

A lot of shows all over the world have attempted what ABBA and their team of digital magicians have achieved. The mind is completely convinced that what you are seeing is real, and the beauty and utter wonder of this show and that feeling for fans who will have travelled from all over the world…is that ABBA ARE BACK, and any misgivings or doubts that anyone had about spending 90 minutes watching this computer generated supergroup are simply gone in a flash. Of course, you know its not actually them, but the virtual ‘ABBA’s’ in front of you are so incredibly detailed and perfectly choreographed that you’re happy to suspend belief and be taken on this journey.

The set list is perfect, and the style of the concert is exactly that of any superstar playing at an arena anywhere in the world, with recently-recorded spoken interludes from each band member introducing the next song, and the 10-piece LIVE band with three backing vocalists who effortlessly blend with the band’s original vocals and compliment the overall flawless sound.

Opening the show with The Visitors (a song originally known in Swedish as ‘The First’) is a bold move: while not their most-known song, it certainly is a favourite from the later-ABBA canon of songs and gives the Voyage the perfect atmospheric, space age feel where anything is possible.

Filled with their greatest hits and much-loved songs, along with new tracks I Still Have Faith in You and Don’t Shut Me Down, there isn’t a moment for any ABBA fan to pop to the bar or toilet, just strap in and enjoy the ride.

It’s hard to describe much more and still keep the shows secrets for you to enjoy first hand, but rest-assured that the technical advances and level of production in this brand new show are sometimes impossible to believe… Or in the case of the band’s representation, too easy to believe! The concert builds and builds to the slightly expected but always welcome crescendo of a Dancing Queen finale which is a sensual overload of sound and visual effects, perfectly followed by an emotional encore of The Winner Takes it All.

What more could you ask for? Well, each night, how about all four members of the group, as they are in the present day, coming onto stage (virtually) to take a bow and receive the biggest applause of the night? Just as Bjorn, Benny, Anni-Frid and Agnetha did for real last night at the press night… By the end of ABBA Voyage, you are so overwhelmed by the imagination and skill that has put the show together, you’ll have long forgotten to question what is and isn’t real.

To focus only on the groundbreaking technology – and it is a game-changer – would be to underestimate it’s impact. If talk of holograms or the idea of watch a ‘live’ show without the band being there gave you doubts, cast them aside. ABBA Voyage is so beautifully assembled, every detail so right, you will enjoy every time-hopping, exhilarating moment just as if you were somehow at Wembley Arena in November 1979 or the Royal Albert Hall in February 1974, having the time of your life.

Does it get any better than this show? Possibly not for another 39 years.