When I was a teen, my mom took me to see Mamma Mia! the Musical. As a child of the 80s, ABBA’s music always permeated the air around me, but nothing I would remember. But seeing the musical as a teenager, those tunes that once danced around my room as a child suddenly felt both familiar and brand new. I was hooked. We bought the musical album when we left the theatre, and I soon managed to dig out some of my parent’s old vinyl albums from the basement to dive into the total majesty that was ABBA. I loved the hooks, the lyrics and most of all, the sequinned costumes!
Those older than me will probably laugh at my ignorance since you grew up with ABBA being one of the biggest bands in the world. But I felt like I was discovering it for the first time. I would dance around my front room to ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ in full view of my utterly confused neighbours as they passed. As I grew up and started attending my first concerts, I was heartbroken when I learned that the band had broken up and I would never get to see them live onstage. That was until ABBA Voyage…
Coming to London, you can’t miss ads for ABBA Voyage. They are everywhere you look; on the underground, on the bus and in the paper. But even I wasn’t sure what it was all about. And once you see the price tag, you might think twice about going. I loved ABBA, but I didn’t know what a virtual musical experience was, let only if it was worth the money. But I’m here to tell you it is.
After my mom passed away, I looked for things that reminded me of her. And things that could bring me joy when I felt so low. When I saw the details about this concert, I remembered how she was the one who first took me to see Mamma Mia! and was the one to introduce me to ABBA. It felt like she was telling me to go. And I’m so glad she did. I know mom would have loved seeing me dancing, singing, smiling and laughing throughout the show.
This kind of show feels like an injection of happiness straight to the heart. Even those with minimal exposure or knowledge about ABBA should experience it. If you weren’t a fan before, you are going to come away a newfound fanatic. In the end, the idea of something’s “worth” is incredibly subjective. But I hope this post gives you an idea of what to expect and whether you think it will be worth your money.
ABBA was a Swedish pop group that gained international fame in the 1970s and early 1980s. The group consisted of two couples: Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group’s name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome.
They skyrocketed to fame in 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Waterloo.” ABBA proceeded to top the charts with songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” The Winner Takes it All,” and “Take a Chance on Me.” They were also known for their flamboyant costumes, which helped to create a distinctive and memorable image that lives in our minds even today. Sadly, popularity and the pressures of fame took their toll on the couples, and their marriages ended in divorce,. Leading to the eventual split of the band altogether.
ABBA officially broke up in 1982. For years their music remained dormant. But when the musical Mamma Mia! was released and the movie was a subsequent box office hit, there was an ABBA resurgence. Suddenly, ABBA’s music was back in the cultural zeitgeist. After years apart, rumours of a reunion began circulating. But the band members were adamant about never touring together again. This is where the concept of a virtual tour came into conception. The band members returned to the studio in 2018 to record a new album. And began the development of their virtual concert idea.
They joined up with team members from Industrial Light & Magic, an American motion picture visual effects company. With their help, they created virtual avatars (dubbed ‘ABBAtars‘) that digitally captured the group members as they appeared in 1977. They employed the same motion capture suit technology animated movies use to capture the singer’s unique and subtle movement. Allowing their personalities to translate onto the stage through their digital ABBAtars.
A purpose-built venue at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London was created using state-of-the-art technology to bring these ABBAtars to life. It was going to be an undertaking like no other that reportedly had a budget of £140 million. Once again, ABBA set a new bar for performance art and music more than 30 years after its first album.
The digital concert is 90 minutes long with no intervals. The show features the ABBAtars as they take the stage to recreate their live concert experience. They sing and dance in front of the audience as the would have appeared in the 1970s. When the ABBAtars first took the stage, I gasped. I thought, “no, those have to be the real people.” They looked too lifelike. A lot of people refer to them as “holograms,” but they are so much more than that! Holograms often look two-dimensional, slightly transparent and overall just fake. But these could have been real people. The lighting is just that good. At times it felt like you could walk up and touch them. Even their pores could be seen when the tv screen zoomed in on their faces. Their mouths make these subtle expressions that only the real ABBA could have recreated.
There were only a few moments when the ABBAtar’s faces fell into the uncanny valley. Uncanny valley is a phrase that refers to the unsettling feeling people experience when visual simulations too closely resemble humans in many respects but are not quite convincingly realistic. But for the most part, I was in total disbelief at how realistic these projections were. And halfway through the show, you just forget they are projections at all. And you’re just at a concert, somehow transported back in time.
Part of what makes the ABBAtars look so lifelike is the advanced lighting effects that support digital technology. But the lights aren’t just to hide the ABBAtars’ secrets; they are a character within the show all to themselves. Mirrors reflect the singer’s faces and the audience’s own awed reflection. Beams of light flash across the arena like shooting starts. Coloured lights descend from the ceiling like streamers to the delight of the dance floor, and they attempt to reach up to touch them! There isn’t a minute of this show when the arena isn’t trying to delight your eyes in some fashion or another.
Speaking of fashion…the costumes! ABBA was always known for its outlandish ensembles and iconic coordinated outfits. While I perhaps expected a costume change after every song, they provided an excellent array of styles for which the band was known. Feathers, sequins, and velour graced the stage at one point. Always throwing the crowd in a series of roars when a new costume change would be revealed.
Since the members of ABBA aren’t really singing live, you might expect the music itself to be pretty lacklustre. But nothing could be further from the truth. The vocals they used were taken from original track recordings from their albums. The mixing is super high quality, and it truly sounds like a live show, not just a recording. This is helped by the fact the ABBAtars are accompanied on stage by a live band. Featuring ten musicians and singers. This live band can be seen on the side of the stage throughout the show. The fact that there are times when you can’t tell the difference between the band and the ABBAtars goes to show how lifelike the projections really are! But the band adds more than just live music. They add their own personal touch to vocals, and their exuberant energy and love for the performance really comes through in their smiles.
ABBA Voyage is located in the western London neighbourhood of Stratford at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Arena was purpose-built for ABBA’s modern concert spectacular. This show couldn’t be put on just anywhere. They had to literally build it, so you could come.
The closest station to the venue is Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway.) The ABBA Arena is immediately opposite the station making the journey practically step-free!
If you are instead planning on taking the underground, the closest station is Bow Lane on the District line. From Bow Lane, it is only a 20-minute walk to the Arena. You can also transfer at Bow Lane onto the DLR, but the 20-minute walk isn’t difficult and saves you the extra fare on the DLR.
After the show, the DLR station is PACKED with people leaving the show, so I’d definitely recommend the 20-minute walk to Bow Lane on the return journey. Unless you’re the first one out of the station, you’ll end up waiting more than 20 minutes to be able to board a train anyways.
Parking is very difficult to come by around the ABBA Arena, so if you’re not taking public transport, it is recommended that you take a taxi or uber and are dropped off at the Arena. If you wish to hail a black cab, there is an appointed black taxi rank on Barbers Road.
If you have specific access needs, contact access@abbavoyage.com and inquire about reserving a spot in one of their ten parking spaces reserved for blue badge holders. These spaces must be booked in advance to ensure availability.
The ABBA Arena includes Dance Floor, Auditorium, and Dance Booth ticket areas. There are also special accessible seats available in dedicated sections to ensure those get the best visibility possible.
The Dance Floor is my top recommendation for anyone attending this show who can stand for 90 minutes. It is a standing room only with general admission, so the earlier you get there, the better spot you can stake out. Tickets for the dance floor start at £70, with cheaper tickets on weeknights and weekend matinees. The Dance Floor gets you as close to the stage as possible and right into the thick of the party! It’s called a dance floor for a reason.
The minute the music started, everyone around us started dancing and singing along. It wasn’t anything crazy, so don’t worry about that, but the atmosphere and energy were absolutely infectious. In my older age, I tend to think I’m getting a little jaded with concerts, but I was smiling ear to ear throughout the entire show, and I think that was partly due to the exuberance of the crowd on the dance floor.
From your vantage point on the dance floor, you can really admire how incredible the technology of the ABBAtars is. I think the farther away you are, the harder it is to appreciate how lifelike they look. The back of the dance floor does have a wall you could lean on, but for the most part, there is nowhere you can sit. If this is an issue (which I can absolutely understand), you can instead opt for the seats in the Auditorium.
The Auditorium is spread out on two different raised levels of inclined seats. Auditorium seats start at £55. The pricing is based on the location of the seats. The closer and more centred to the stage, the most expensive. But since the theatre is only so large, there really isn’t a “bad” seat in the house. And if you feel like you won’t be able to see the ABBAtar’s close-up, just like in a real concert, large projector screens show all action happening onstage. As well as some unique digital effects that surround the entire theatre.
The seated area is excellent for people who don’t think they can stand throughout the show. And while I did see everyone in the auditorium get up and stand to dance during the encore, I found that, for the most part, they stayed seated for the rest of the performance. So keep that in mind if you think you’d prefer to be on your feet, dancing to the music.
All accessible seating is located in the Auditorium on the first level.
If you’re looking for a splurge, you can book one of their eight Dance Booths that can hold up to 12 people. Each booth is named after a special person from the ABBA universe and features plenty of seating and a private dance floor. These tickets start at £153 per person and are located on the second level of the Auditorium. While they are private, they definitely don’t get the best view.
Today Tix London sometimes offers discounted tickets, but I found that buying through the official site was often where you could find the best prices. But it never hurts to look, especially if you’re looking for last-minute tickets during less busy times of the year.
Taking pictures or video recordings is strictly prohibited. If you are caught taking pictures during the show, you will be removed from the concert hall. Thankfully their official Instagram has a few photos of the show to help tell this story. I think, aside from ensuring people have a phone-free concert experience, one of the reasons why they are so strict is that they want to protect the proprietary technology they created for this unique show. But going to a concert phone-free was truly extraordinary and left you completely at the moment and utterly immersed.
Before the show, you can take photos outside the arena and inside the main arena concourse. Inside the arena, I asked if we could take a picture of our group, and they said that was ok so long as the show hadn’t started and we were capturing ourselves.
Doors to the ABBA Arena open 1 hour 45 minutes before the concert, so you can arrive early to make the most of the bar and food outlets, which will be open before the concert starts. Be aware the food and drink area of the arena is located outside, so think about this before checking your coat or leaving the house without one altogether.
The main concourse has two large bars serving cocktails, wine, draught beer, spirits and soft drinks. They also have traditional British favourites like Pimms! We visited during the holiday season, and they even had mulled wine!
There is also a dedicated food area serving a selection of hot & cold options for you to choose from. We arrived an hour before the show, around dinner time, and since the area surrounding the arena is pretty devoid of food spots, we decided to eat inside. We indulged in their fanciful hot dogs. The Mergues dog was a lamb sausage served with chipotle mayo and topped with carrot and onion slaw. Have to say, it was pretty delicious for a concert dog.
If you don’t want to wait in line to get your drinks and snacks, you can pre-order and collect them when you arrive. There are various collection points around the Arena, so choose the one that works best for your seats. You can leave the arena during the show to get a drink, but as the show is only 90 minutes long, I’d recommend simply bringing in whatever you plan on drinking so you don’t miss a minute!
You are entitled to bring water, and they have refill stations for water bottles. This is great as the dance floor can really get hot, and it’s good to keep hydrated.
Especially if you have dance floor tickets, make sure you coat check since it gets really hot with the energetic dancing. But be aware that the queue to collect your coat at the night’s end can get pretty lengthy. So if you have a seat, you’re probably best to just sit on your coat if you get too hot. Rather than check it.
One of the most exciting parts of the wait before the show is perusing the merch booth. And the one at ABBA Voyage certainly didn’t disappoint! Their “vintage collection” was phenomenal and felt like recreated pieces from their original tour merch. I’m still upset I didn’t buy that enamel mug…But we did come away with the tea towel (love me a tea towel) as well as the souvenir programme. If you’re interested in learning more about the creation of the show, the programme is an invaluable resource and well worth the £15.
This show meant a lot to me; it felt like a connection to my mom when I needed it most. But aside from that, it was a genuine BLAST. I still am talking about it to all my friends who are planning trips to London. While the ticket prices may seem a bit steep, I believe that the overall quality of the experience justifies the cost. If you’re a die-hard ABBA fan or simply appreciate innovative entertainment, I highly recommend checking out the ABBA Voyage experience in London. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity that you won’t want to miss!
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Thanks for this detailed review, it's really helped me make a decision.
That's wonderful to hear! Let me know how you enjoyed it :)
Hi can you tell me whether you noticed anyone dancing in the aisle of the seating areas so as not to spoil the views of people sitting ? I'm thinking of treating my daughter and granddaughter who would no doubt love the dance floor but 90 minutes would be too long for me to sit. Am thinking the dance booth May be best but it's a tad expensive when paying for 3 as a surprise treat and have heard the views aren't as good.
# 90 mins might be too long for me to stand not sit.
The seated areas definitely had people on their feet during certain parts so there are ample opportunities to get up and dance even in the seated section. although I don't think you could easily dance in the aisles (having to squeeze past people and I'm not sure if standing in the aisles was allowed for fire hazard reasons) It was more during certain part of the performances people would stand up from their seats to join in but for the most part they were seated. I think your daughter and granddaughter would still have a great time in the seated section to ensure you're comfortable and can enjoy the entirety of the show.
To get a good spot on the dancefloor, will it be enough to arrive when doors open or would you advise to be there even earlier?
Honestly, there really isn't a bad spot on the dancefloor. We arrived a little after door opened and there was lots of space everywhere. The dancefloor isn't huge so even if you're at the back you'll have a great view. I would actually advise being a little further back from the front as you really get a better vantage point of the entire stage and screens.
Hi, thank you for this detailed and interesting review. I'm thinking about going with my 10 year old son who is a big ABBA fan but I can't decide if it's really suitable for kids. Did you happen to see any kids/teens in the auditorium?
Way too loud and sound distorted. The sound engineer made those beautiful voices sound like chipmunks. One of the stewards told me afterwards that he had asked for the sound to be turned down twice following complaints and parents reporting children crying because it was too loud. He said he had been ignored
Oh wow Mary that sounds like something definitely went wrong during the show as we never had those issues and I'm pretty sound sensitive. I would recommend calling or emailing the ticket office to see if they can offer you any compensation.
Thank you for the review. We're Golden Girls coming from US for a whirlwind trip through Europe, and ABBA is our FAVORITE band. I was somewhat disheartened to hear the private dance booths don't have as great a view, but oh well, it's the music and energy we're looking forward too. And we figure we'll meet other ABBA lovers in our booth since there's only three of us. Great way to make friends. I'm delighted you enjoyed this and that it brought your mom closer to you. I know how that feels. Monica
I don't think the view from there is "bad" view in the entire place, I was simply advising people on where I think you get the best bang for your buck! You'll have an amazing time in the booths and I think there are great advantages to it being private, you can dance you heart out without being too crowded (which is more the case on the dancefloor.) Please let me know how your experience went! Really, no matter where you go you'll have a blast :)
My girlfriend BFF & I want to travel from USA to see ABBA Voyage in 2024. Neither one of us are avid travellers, esp out of country. I am looking for a blog where a traveller gives their itinerary along with names of hotels/restaurants and what they liked and would change. For example, Stayed at Hotel X (cost) for 0 days. It was in a busy and safe touristy area (or not) and got there from Heathrow via Day 1: lunch at A (good), Dinner at B (excellent). Day 2: Lunch at C. Left Hotel at 0:00pm and got on the subway at the ABC station. Purchased subway ticket by (???) Exited at DEF station at 0:00pm and walked 00 minutes to ABBA Voyage Theater. Ate at HIJKLMNO Pub on the way there - was great/awful. Spent 00 minutes shopping in the ABBA store, had a cocktail which we were allowed to bring into the theater. We went on and the theater was . After the finale, we walked 00 minutes to the DEF station and exited at ABC station. If we did it over, we would change xyz. We wore comfortable shoes. Other concert goers were dressed in >>.
Or something to that effect which would help newbies either copy the itinerary exactly or provide a starting point which to emulate. Know what to wear on body and feet. I know I'll love the concert and have no problem making that decision, it's the rest of the logistics that I am interested in finding out more details. I want to learn from someone else's experience and not have to start from scratch. Any suggestions for resources with that type of info for ABBA Voyage?
The comment editor that posted my comment above removed some of the text enclosed in carats and parentheses so it doesn't read correctly.