ABBA’s ground-breaking comeback tour ‘will take place next spring in purpose-built 3,000-capacity’

ABBA are set to break their 39-year hiatus as they will reportedly release brand new music next week.

And now new details of their ‘ground-breaking’ comeback tour have emerged, with the succession of shows, titled ‘Abba Voyage’, set to take place in a purpose-built, 3,000-capacity arena in London, according to reports.

Holograms, new music and live performers mean the state-of-the-art project has already ‘racked up an eight-figure cost’, and the Swedish group – made up of Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – can expect to ‘make millions’.

Ground-breaking: New details of ABBA’s ‘ground-breaking’ comeback tour have emerged, with the succession of shows set to take place in a purpose-built, 3,000-capacity arena in London (pictured as holograms)

The Sun reported on Thursday: ‘The state-of-the-art concert – set to run until 2025 – will feature Abba performing as holograms of themselves in their heyday.

‘It will be ­situated in a purpose-built 3,000-capacity venue in the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, where it will open next spring and an entire album of new music is being readied.’

It added: ‘The 6,710-square-metre theatre will host eight shows a week and will allow for a 360-degree immersive experience, giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with the recreations of the superstars, which will be joined on stage by real performers.’

A bar, food stalls and a shop are also said to be included on site, with The Sun having seen planning documents that show the building’s design allows for it to be broken down for transportation, with ‘preliminary plans’ aiming for a later move to Las Vegas or Stockholm.

No expense spared: Holograms, new music and live performers mean the state-of-the-art project has already 'racked up an eight-figure cost' (pictured in 1974)

No expense spared: Holograms, new music and live performers mean the state-of-the-art project has already ‘racked up an eight-figure cost’ (pictured in 1974)

MailOnline has reached out to ABBA’s representatives for comment.

The paper further reported that the iconic pop group will announce full details of the tour next Thursday and that all four members will reunite for the tour’s launch. 

The Sun adds that ABBA have been ‘heavily involved’ in the lead-up to the announcement, with the group having secretly flown to the UK in September to shoot new content at Ealing Studios.

Body doubles in their twenties also filmed scenes, the paper noted.

Comeback: The group is made up of Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (pictured together in 2016)

Comeback: The group is made up of Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (pictured together in 2016)

The once-in-a-lifetime production is reportedly being masterminded by Benny’s son Ludwig, who produced 2018’s Mamma Mia!.

Plans for the comeback have been in place since 2019 but were delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes after reports surfaced on Tuesday that the group were set to hold a press conference in Stockholm, leading to a flurry of speculation that a huge announcement could be on the cards.

The Swedish quartet announced in 2018 they were planning to record new tracks for the first time in 35 years, and it was confirmed last year that they have more songs than originally planned.

Premise: The Abba Voyage will follow the group's comeback and the creation of a purpose-built theatre in East London for their hologram show

Premise: The Abba Voyage will follow the group’s comeback and the creation of a purpose-built theatre in East London for their hologram show

Despite the news, ABBA have had to delay the releases, which includes I Still Have Faith In You and Don’t Shut Me Down, as well as their ABBAtar hologram tour.

Band member Bjorn told journalist Geoff Lloyd as such.

Speaking on an episode of his podcast Reasons To Be Cheerful, the radio presenter explained: ‘I got to spend an hour with Bjorn Ulveaus from ABBA via Zoom. They’ve recorded five new songs.

‘They should have been out at the end of last year. They’re going to get these holograms out on tour.

Major announcement: The Swedish quartet announced in 2018 they were planning to record new tracks

Major announcement: The Swedish quartet announced in 2018 they were planning to record new tracks 

‘Because of technical difficulties and the pandemic, it’s delayed things. But he promised me that the new ABBA music will be out in 2021.’

In a statement announcing the new songs, ABBA said at the time: ‘The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence.

‘We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio.’

Bjorn later explained the plans had been delayed until at least 2020 due to the complex technical nature of the show they are creating.

The Waterloo group went their separate ways in 1982 at the height of their career, and during their final years Bjorn divorced bandmate Agnetha whilst Benny and Frida split up, too.

They performed together for the first time in decades in 2016 at a private event, which marked the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between songwriters Bjorn and Benny.

Pushed back: The group originally announced a holographic tour featuring some of the band's biggest hits, but it was delayed due to the Covid pandemic

Pushed back: The group originally announced a holographic tour featuring some of the band’s biggest hits, but it was delayed due to the Covid pandemic

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9931345/ABBAs-ground-breaking-comeback-tour-place-spring-purpose-built-3-000-capacity.html

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