The virtual concert residency has attracted over two million visitors since opening in 2022 and new data shows that the production has delivered £1.4 billion (approx. €1.7 billion) in economic benefits.
ABBA Voyage, the virutal concert residency which features digital avatars of the Swedish pop icons, has contributed £1.4 billion (approx. €1.7 billion) to the UK economy.
The new figures from music market development agency Sound Diplomacy show that the generated the sum stems from between the show’s opening in May 2022 to May 2024.
During that time, the live experience has attracted more than two million visitors – with 31 per cent travelling from outside the UK.
The show debuted in a purpose-built 3,000-cap ABBA Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, under the direction of producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson and director Baillie Walsh. The entire venture cost £141 million (€170 million) and was funded privately from Swedish investors.
“We know that people who live abroad are coming because of ABBA Voyage – 90% of visitors from abroad have come to the UK to see the show and they’re building a holiday around it,” Michael Bolingbroke, the show’s CEO and executive producer, told PA. “It’s extraordinary. It’s like the Olympics or a Formula One event – it’s that big in people’s minds.”
Bolingbroke added that the band “chose the UK when they could’ve gone anywhere else” due to the country’s strengths in arena construction and production.
“It will certainly run for another couple of years and hopefully longer – in an ideal world we’d stay forever,” he stated. “But the land we’re on is, I think, at some point going to become housing, and we knew that from the beginning.”
The local boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest have felt the most positive impact, with accommodation £66,38 million (€80 million), local restaurants and bars receiving £51,26 million (€61 million), and commercial shops gaining £27,28 million (€32,9 million).
“ABBA Voyage has been a phenomenal success story for London, boosting our economy by more than £1bn and showing again why our capital is a global leader for music and culture,” said the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“The fantastic show is an enduring testament to ABBA’s timeless popularity, as well as providing cultural, financial and social benefits. London is proud to host ABBA Voyage and we look forward to continuing to welcome fans from far and wide to see this unique concert as we build a better London for everyone.”
Standard tickets for the shows, in which the avatars are supported by a 10-piece live band, range in price from £27.50 to £319.50.
Additional sources • Sound Diplomacy
Source: Euro News
