Article
The Royal Albert Hall at 150: 'It's the Holy Grail for musicians'
Interviews by Michael Segalov
Mon 29 Mar 2021
It’s hosted opera greats, suffragette rallies, Hitchcock films, sports events, sci-fi conventions – and, of course, the Proms and countless rock gigs. Artists from Led Zeppelin to Abba recall their moments on the hallowed stage
Bjorn Ulvaeus
I have faint but fond memories of performing at the hall in 1977, the last shows in the European leg of our tour. The shows were sold out. I’m told tickets were available only by mail application, and apparently the box office received 3.5 million requests for tickets, enough to fill the venue 580 times over. Back then I said I’d never forget the crowd’s reaction when we sang Fernando – they joined in so loudly.
I felt a real fondness for the venue when we returned many years later. In 2010, Benny Andersson and I played a concert version of a Swedish musical we wrote: Kristina från Duvemåla. The Abba years were so hectic I don’t remember much, but I’ll never forget the buzz of taking my bows after that performance.
