Brit Beat: ‘ABBA Voyage’ Looks to Extend Residency (and Turn a Profit) After Initial London Success

variety.com:

Mark Sutherland Money money money… As ABBA once pointed out, it’s a rich man’s world. But even after the runaway success of the “ABBA Voyage” digital live experience in London, producers say it has yet to recoup the extraordinary investment needed to put on the show. “No, we haven’t broken even,” says producer Svana Gisla. “I don’t even know if we’re halfway to breaking even!

The audacity of how much this show costs – it was all a bit mad. But we will get there…” The smash hit show, staged in a purpose-built arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, welcomed its one-millionth visitor back in April and is still playing to joyful, sold-out houses every night, 15 months after it first launched.

It’s now booking through May 2024 in London and Gisla, fellow producer Ludvig Andersson, and director Baillie Walsh all hope to prolong that stay further. “If we can extend the lease and we’re still selling tickets, then hopefully it will run as long as ‘Mamma Mia!’ or longer,” Walsh tells Variety. “I’d love it to be going into its 20th year with me as an old codger, walking with a stick, but still enjoying the audience singing along.” Despite ABBA’s massive financial investment and the band’s pan-generational fanbase, the team tell Variety that launching the show still carried a huge element of risk. “I’m so proud of all of us for having pulled it off,” says Gisla. “Because we could have fucked it up and destroyed the legacy of ABBA forever.

That was definitely an option!” “We can still fuck it up!” adds Andersson. “It’s never too late for it to be a catastrophe…” In their dreams, however, they have a plan – the trio are quietly contemplating expanding the show.