Abba hologram show brings Money, Money, Money into UK

More than a million tickets were sold for the Abba Voyage hologram show in the first year, making it London’s sixth-most-visited paid attraction in 2022, according to a new report.

The analysis, carried out by strategists Sound Diplomacy and social value consultancy RealWorth, found that the series of concerts at the 3,000 seater Abba Arena in east London contributed £322.6 million in spending to the British economy.

The 90-minute show, which launched in May 2022, represents the band as digital ‘Abbatars’ representing 1979 versions of themselves.

The report claims ABBA Voyage has supported more than 5,000 jobs in London, including those directly employed at the venue, as well as in sectors that rely on spending by visitors.

The Abbatars were created using motion capture technology from visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic, which has recently produced digital avatars of KISS that will carry on the US rock band’s performances when band members are no longer able to tour.

The avatars – which appeared on stage following the final gig of KISS’s End of the Road World Tour, at Madison Square Garden in New York last month – were created in partnership with Pophouse Entertainment Group, the lead investor and production partner in Abba Voyage.