ABBA Voyage was a spectacular night that I will never forget: review
Darcy Robertson19 November 2022
It’s 1977 – your sequined silver dress reflecting off the ceiling of the disco ball as you dance the night away in a spacious arena to electrifying, thrilling ABBA hits.
On Monday evening (November 14th) I took my beautiful mother to watch ABBA Voyage – a live show that drew thousands to see one of the world’s most popular bands, ABBA, perform as digital avatars.
I’ve seen the reviews – ABBA Voyage has been called ‘groundbreaking’ and ‘stunning’ by national news organizations; but I was a bit skeptical when I thought that avatars – or abbatars – could really do justice to these powerful adjectives.
But Mamma Mia, was I wrong.
My mom and I definitely donned the part – I was dressed head to toe in silver sequins, sparkly makeup and white go-go boots – a perfect look for an ABBA extravaganza, if I do say so myself.
We arrived at the Pudding Mill Arena at 7pm and enjoyed a cold glass of white wine while taking in the atmosphere of our surroundings and waiting for the show to begin.
At 7.45pm sharp, the stage came alive and we were greeted by Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who rose off the floor to their 1981 song The Visitors.
I was shocked; The resemblance of the avatars was amazing – every ABBA star looked like they were standing right in front of me on stage.
Hair, eyes, skin color, costumes and even hand movements were imitated to perfection; and in a bizarre, dreamlike way, I felt transported back to the seventies.
It really felt like the Swedish supergroup was standing in front of me.
The Visitors was then mixed into the track Hole in Your Soul and then into the iconic 1975 song SOS
At that point, me, my mother, and the hundreds of spectators beamed with smiles and sang along with each song’s lyrics.
The surrounding stage also transformed – glowing lights flashed constantly throughout the show, revealing many glittering disco objects hanging and swinging from the ceiling.
We were soon taken on a journey through the music of ABBA – Knowing Me, Knowing You, Chiquitita, Fernando and the most famous of them all, Mamma Mia echoed through the arena as we sang, cheered and danced along.
I know it goes without saying, but ABBA really knew (and still do) how to create an archetypal pop song that will stay in the spotlight for decades to come.
Bjorn Ulvaeus’ Abbatar then appeared solo on stage as he introduced the next song (my personal favourite) Does Your Mother Know.
The audience was soon greeted by a very real (and vibrant) band consisting of a guitarist, a pianist, a drummer and three very impressive backing vocalists, who took the lead on my favorite ABBA hit.
In the middle of the set, Eagle can be seen guiding us viewers through an anime story while the four stars “changed outfits” – something that avatars seem to take four minutes to do.
We had such a great time – although it probably wasn’t the best idea to wear my white go-go boots as my feet felt like they were about to fall off – but I wanted to look like it and I wasn’t letting it It keeps me from dancing the night away.
The avatars of Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Bjorn and Benny then returned to the stage wearing advanced glow-in-the-dark bodysuits that flashed to the rhythms and beats of each song, including Lay All Your Love On Me, Gimme! Give me! Give me! and Voulez Vous.
Unsurprisingly, our throats started to hurt because we HAD to sing along to every song – but can you blame us? We watched ABBA. LIVE. IN. CONCERT.
The night ended on an emotional high with an avatar encore of The Winner Takes It All – I was really so sad that the show ended; I could have stayed there for hours (if I had taken my shoes off).
The disco grooves rushed through our veins, the energetic music pumped and the atmosphere was indescribable – it was a night I will never forget.
Tickets for ABBA Voyage’s spectacular performance start from £21, but if you want to feel like a real dance queen for the night make sure you get dance floor tickets.
ABBA Voyage is booking now through November 27, 2023 at the ABBA Arena in London.
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