Abba, at Glastonbury? Imagine… (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Abba have hinted at how their beloved music could finally make it to Glastonbury after decades of fans begging, wishing and wanting.
The iconic Swedish quartet behind some of the world’s greatest pop songs have never played the Somerset festival, but are frequently on fans’ most-wanted list of headliners.
However, the band – comprised of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – have not performed together in more than 40 years, and instead have been entertaining fans with their groundbreaking Abba Voyage show in London since 2022 via their avatars in the critically-acclaimed high-tech concert.
Sadly, there is no way to bring this technology to Glastonbury, but there may be a way to introduce Abba to the Pyramid Stage.
Speaking at a Q&A for the second-anniversary celebration of Abba Voyage on Monday at the Abba Arena, Benny and Bjorn teased the idea of possibly making it to Glasto… sort of.
Host Pete Paphides suggested that the Abba Voyage live band could go to Glastonbury, to which Bjorn excitedly replied: ‘Oh yes!
Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson teased that the 10-piece Abba Voyage band could be the closet thing we get to seeing them at Glastonbury (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty)
Abba, pictured here in 1974, haven’t performed together in more than 40 years (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
‘I think that’s a brilliant idea,’ he added, to huge cheers from the 3,000 fans in the auditorium.
Benny added that ‘you’d need to ask the band,’ but seemed taken with the idea.
He later joked that if the band – which plays every night at Abba Voyage alongside the avatars – did play at Glastonbury, ‘they’ll need an extra keyboard player,’ seemingly offering himself up for the job.
Five years ago, Bjorn unfortunately quashed any idea of the band joining forces for Glasto.
Speaking to Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show in 2019, when asked if there was a chance of it happening, he said: ‘Oh no, it’s a straight, straight no.’
‘We recorded some new songs and you’ll probably hear them next year, at least one of them, but that’s quite a different thing from going through the hassle of rehearsing and – just one show, it would be the same as doing a whole year of tours,’ he said.
‘It would take 10 years out of our life.’
If the original Abba can’t make it there, at least we may get a chance to see the spectacular Abba Voyage live band, with a possible appearance from Benny on keyboards.
Abba Voyage has stunned audiences for two years, with the band’s biggest hits being performed by hyper-real avatars (Picture: Johan Persson)
The incredibly lifelike avatars sees the group reimagined as modern-day popstars in their 1970s finest (Picture: Abba Voyage)
Abba Voyage broke boundaries when it launched in May 2022 by giving fans the chance to see the Eurovision winners reimagined as modern-day pop stars.
Via their incredibly lifelike avatars, and with the help of a 10-piece live band, the 95-minute concert is an extraordinary feat of technology, special visual effects and, of course, some of the greatest music of all time.
Since its opening at the purpose-built Abba Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, more than two million fans have gone along to see hits such as Waterloo, SOS, Dancing Queen and Fernando being performed by the hyper-real, eternally youthful versions of Agnetha, Anni-Fri, Bjorn and Benny.
Speaking at the special show on Monday, where fans asked questions alongside celebrity guests including Dame Joanna Lumley, Rosamund Pike, Dawn O’Porter, Rick Astley and Matt Lucas, Benny and Bjorn also admitted that they sometimes consider joining their avatars on stage in London.
Saltburn star Rosamund Pike was among the star guests at the second anniversary celebration of Abba Voyage (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty)
Abba superfan Dame Joanna Lumley asked a question to Benny and Bjorn on stage (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty)
Asked by Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri if they have ‘ever been tempted to secretly get on stage’, Bjorn said: ‘Yes, absolutely.’
He also admitted it is ‘hard to grasp emotionally’ the legacy they have as a band, ‘that we wrote these little songs and it gave rise to this and the millions of people we have touched.
‘We know it’s true but it’s very hard to understand. Maybe impossible.’
Benny added: ‘I’ve seen the show so many times and I think we look good up there… but I have no idea what it really is that makes people have it in them to want to listen to music that was done 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago.’
They both agreed it was ‘preposterous’ to have imagined a show like this taking place 50 years ago at the height of their fame.
Abba Voyage has now played 756 shows, and has been a critical success since it launched two years ago, with the Metro describing it as a ‘groundbreaking pop spectacle and a serotonin boost.’
However, there were recently concerns from fans that it would be leaving London for Las Vegas, but a spokesperson recently told Metro.co.uk they are ‘in conversations about the concert being in different locations at some point in the future as well as in London, but currently the only place in the world where you can see Abba Voyage is at the Abba Arena, London.’
Abba Voyage is currently booking tickets until January 2025. Visit abbavoyage.com for availability.
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