Maiden Voyage
What : ABBA Voyage Where : Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park When : 27 May 2022
London ’ s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year with a series of events across its existing venue portfolio and the opening of the bespoke ABBA Arena .
The new purpose-built ABBA Voyage concert venue is being created by show designers Stufish Entertainment Architects . The 3,000-capacity ( 1,647 seated and 1,353 standing ) arena will host the comeback concert series by ABBA that is due to commence on 27 May .
The 6,710sqm theatre will each month accommodate around 30 shows that will involve band members Agnetha , Björn , Benny and Anni-Frid in the form of digital avatars alongside a real-world 10-piece band . The residency is expected to run until the end of the year .
Having overseen the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park during a lengthy period of limited activity due to the pandemic , London Legacy Development Corporation ( LLDC ) head of events Sara-Ellen Williams is looking forward to a landmark year ahead .
She says : “ The Park is the perfect location to host this extraordinary project and it is always great to work with people and organisations that are just going to do the highest standard of work . That ’ s what I really love about events and projects is that drive to achieve such a high standard of delivery . I am also driven by finding solutions to problems and I think that ethos grew from my work on the London Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and other major events .
“ I am so very proud to have led on this project from LLDC ’ s side and it is continuing to be a great project to work with colleagues on . Indeed , I know the Olympic closing ceremony was a celebration of British music , but given ABBA ’ s influence it seems highly appropriate in our 10-year anniversary year that they bring this exciting and innovative project to the Park .
“ The eyes of the world will be on the Park once the show begins next year . Indeed , about 25 % of ticket sales to date for ABBA Voyage have come from overseas buyers .”
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