Bjorn Ulvaeus has insisted ABBA’s avatar shows could go on indefinitely.
The Swedish pop icons – also comprising Agnetha Faltskog, 71, Benny Andersson, 74, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 75 – are performing digitally as ‘Abbatars’ with a live 10-piece band next year as part of the ‘ABBA Voyage’ run, and the 76-year-old singer-songwriter has insisted this type of concert means the run could go on forever.
Bjorn told reporters at the launch of his Credits Due campaign – which aims to solve royalties issues – this week: “Abbatars never tire. They can do 10 shows a day. No private jets. No riders. No worries about voices.”
The ‘Thank You For The Music’ hitmakers have teamed up with an 850-strong team from Industrial Light & Magic – the company founded by George Lucas – to create digital versions of themselves for the concert, using months of motion-capture and performance techniques.
The ‘Voyage’ concert experience will open on May 27 2022 at the ABBA Arena, which is a state-of-the-art 3,000 capacity arena located at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
The concert will feature ABBA’s two new tracks, ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, as well as songs from their upcoming album.
The band’s new studio album ‘Voyage’ is released on November 5.
However, Bjorn has ruled out using the new music to make another instalment of their ‘Mamma Mia!’ movies.
He said: “I don’t think you could squeeze another story out of that.”
Amanda Seyfried – who starred as Sophie in the 2008 original flick and the 2018 sequel ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ – previously cast doubt on the possibility of a third sequel, suggesting that there isn’t enough ABBA music to make it happen.
The ‘Mank’ star said: “So yeah, I wish there was a ‘Mamma Mia 3’, but I’ll tell you what – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and I hope I’m wrong again.
“I don’t think there are enough ABBA songs to make a third movie.
“Because we’d have to use ‘Super Trooper’ again and we’d have to use ‘Mamma Mia’ again and have to use them in a different way.”