On April 6th, 2024 the time has come: Abba will celebrate 50 years of “Waterloo”. With the piano storm song, the Swedes won the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne or Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton in 1974 and started their international career, which initially lasted until 1983. It is currently rumored whether Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Björn Ulvaeus could perform at the ESC anniversary in Stockholm (May 11, 2024) – if not as a live act (they have long since ruled that out) or as “Abbatars”, then perhaps at least as talk guests. Who knows.
Around a month beforehand, exactly on April 6th, the celebration took place in the “Voyage” arena in east London. What will happen in the “Voyage” show, what will the digital avatars do? Well, not much, to be honest. “All ticket holders for the matinee and evening performance on April 6 will receive an exclusive ABBA Voyage x Waterloo commemorative gift and a free drink voucher upon arrival,” reads a booking page posted to the “West End Theater” heard. Both goodies are not defined in more detail. Tickets are still available for both performances, and April 6th falls on a Saturday.
Since the premiere of the approximately two-hour show in May 2022, there has been speculation about possible setlist variations – many of the quartet’s hits are missing, “Take a Chance on Me”, “The Name of the Game” and “Super Trouper”. Perhaps the fans’ hope that Abba could now throw in one or two “Waterloo” songs (“Honey Honey”, “My Mama Said”) would be misplaced. But the fact is that, according to information from the Abba camp, more than just the 20 songs were rehearsed, programmed and visualized by the avatars or the band members.
Now then: Let’s celebrate on site with the free drink and the “Waterloo” gift – a bracelet perhaps?