Benny Andersson: Last News

They were the iconic 1970’s pop band who took the world by storm with hits such as Gimme Gimme Gimme, and the ABBA foursome were back together today. It was their first public appearance together in six years, after a performance hiatus, as they attended the first performance of their one-of-a-kind concert ABBA "Voyage" at ‘ABBA Arena’ in London.The Swedish pop group is made up of Agnetha Fältskog, 72, Björn Ulvaeus, 77, Benny Andersson, 75, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 76.

ABBA have been seen together for the first time in 14 years after hitting the red carpet at the new ABBA Arena in London’s Olympic Park.

NME on the red carpet during the opening night of their ‘Voyage’ concert residency, ABBA told us what fans can expect after their digital tour. Watch our full video interview with the Swedish pop band above.The event, which took place today (May 26) at ABBA Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, marked the first time in 36 years Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Björn Ulvaeus were seen as a group together in public.“It feels fantastic,” Lyngstad told NME when asked what it was like to be at the premiere.

Abba finally reunited in London in full for the first time in 40 years for the Abba Voyage red carpet on Thursday night.Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog, and Björn Ulvaeus smiled for cameras as they posed altogether ahead of kicking off their hotly anticipated hologram tour.The Swedish pop superstars were last together in the capital for an appearance on The Late Late Breakfast show hosted with Noel Edmonds in 1982.Speaking on the red carpet outside a purpose-built stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, Agnetha enthused: ‘It’s amazing to see all the English fans.’The group’s highly anticipated concert features younger ‘Abba-tars’ of the foursome performing songs from their back catalogue with a live 10-piece band.Benny admitted he expected himself to cry during the concert, saying: ‘Oh definitely, all the time.’Speaking about why she had enjoyed the project so much, Anni-Frid said: ‘I think the most exciting thing about this project was to come together as a group again after so many years not doing anything as a band together.’Abba was catapulted to worldwide success after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo when the event was held in Brighton in 1974.They have since sold more than 400 million albums and singles.The popular quartet parted ways after last performing together in 1982 following a successful 10-year stint.In 2018 they announced they had recorded new material and it arrived in November.Abba Voyage shows begin in London on Friday, May 27and are running until December 2022.It’s then expected that the show will hit the road, on a world tour lasting until the year 2026.The lengthy run is possible all thanks to ‘Abbatars’ – aka the four holograms which

Fred Bronson The first news about a virtual ABBA show broke in 2016. Six years later, “Voyage” is set to open at the purpose-built 3,000-seat ABBA Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Along the way, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote two new songs for the show and reunited with Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad to record a new album, making a spectacular comeback for the Swedish quartet that first achieved international fame in 1974 by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with “Waterloo.”After two previews, a VIP invited audience will see the show tonight (Thursday, May 26) and an official opening night happens on Friday, May 27.

ABBA‘s upcoming ‘Voyage’ digital tour have been shared.Fashion house designers, including Dolce & Gabbana, have worked on making outfits for the shows that will see avatar versions of ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson perform to fans as part of the “revolutionary” concerts.The tour opens at London’s brand new ABBA Arena on May 27, with the world premiere taking place the previous day (May 26).‘Voyage’ costume designer B. Åkerlund, who is best known for her work with the likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, collaborated with leading designers and studios from the worlds of fashion and entertainment including Manish Arora, Erevos Aether and Michael Schmidt to create looks for the band.Concert producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson said in a statement: “Rather than recreating a ‘nostalgic’ 1970s look for ABBA Voyage, our vision, along with director Baillie Walsh, was to dress the band as the contemporary pop stars they are.

ABBA have previewed their upcoming ‘Voyage’ shows by sharing a series of official images – check them out below.The Swedish pop icons returned with their first album in 40 years, ‘Voyage’, last November and are due to host a string of “revolutionary” concerts at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from May 27.After sharing a dazzling first trailer for the production late last year, ABBA have now revealed four new photos – one for each “digital” member of the band: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.You can see the impressively lifelike avatars here:Last September, the ‘Voyage’ show producers spoke to NME about what to expect from what they described as a “magical space circus”.“It’s a concert on steroids, basically,” explained Ludwig Andersson. “However technically advanced these avatars are, this can never only be about technology.

APPOINTMENTSMusic credits database Jaxsta has promoted Beth Appleton to CEO, as founder Jacqui Louez-Schoorl focuses on other activities at the company. “Jacqui and I are magnificent business partners and friends”, says Appleton.

Klaxons member James Righton has shared a new collaboration with ABBA‘s Benny Andersson – listen to ‘Empty Rooms’ below.The track is the latest preview of Righton’s new solo album, ‘Jim, I’m Still Here’, which was announced this month and will land on July 8 via Soulwax‘s label DEEWEE and made in collaboration with David and Stephen Dewaele.Righton met Andersson when putting together the live band for ABBA’s forthcoming Voyage live residency in London, which begins next month.“He’s never done anything like this before,” Righton said of Andersson’s contribution to the track. “I nervously sent him the track and a couple of days later he sent back this keyboard line which was perfect“’Empty Rooms’ is about silent conflicts,” he added.

Klaxons musician James Righton has today (April 6) unveiled details of a new album, ‘Jim, I’m Still Here’.The 12-track album has been made in collaboration with Soulwax’s David and Stephen Dewaele and includes a guest feature from ABBA’s Benny Andersson. It will arrive on July 8 via Soulwax’s Abel DEEWEE.The synth-laden album sees Righton taking on a new alter-ego called Jim and you can hear a taster of the upcoming album via new single ‘Pause’ below.1. ‘Livestream Superstar’2. ‘Pause’3. ‘Touch’4. ‘Release Party’5. ‘Real World Park’6. ‘Never Give Up On The City’7. ‘A Day At The Races’8. ‘I Want To Live’9. ‘Lover Boy’10. ‘Empty Rooms’ ft. Benny Andersson11. ‘Playing To Win’12. ‘Farewell Superstar’Speaking about the new album, Righton said: “The alter ego of Jim came to me whilst promoting my previous album ‘The Performer’ during the first week of lockdown.

Trafalgar Releasing and Warner Bros. will present a digitally remastered ABBA: The Movie for two night in May to celebrate the Swedish pop sensation’s 50th anniversary.

Abba star Björn Ulvaeus and his wife Lena have split after 41 years of marriage.The pair announced the news in a joint statement, explaining that they have remained close friends.‘After many fine and eventful years, we have decided to divorce,’ they said.‘We remain close and good friends and will continue to celebrate our grandchildren’s birthdays and other family celebrations together.’Björn, 76, and Lena first started dating after the star’s split from Agnetha Fältskog, who he married in 1971. Björn and Agnetha split eight years later, in 1979.The singer then met journalist Lena at a party thrown by Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.They later tied the knot in 1981 and share two children – Emma, 40, and Anna, 35.Björn also has two children from his marriage to Agnetha, Linda, 48, and Peter, 44.The star previously said about his wife: ‘We really fell in love with lightning.‘So strange that you are a bachelor for a week and then just fall there right away.’Last year, Abba reunited for their first album in 40 years.Abba Voyage had fans obsessed, and secured the band their first ever Grammy Award nomination.

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus has split from his wife Lena Kallersjo after 41 years together.The pair announced their separation today, months after Björn, 76, reunited with his ex-ABBA bandmates to release new music. In a statement, the couple said: “After many wonderful and eventful years, we have decided to go our separate ways.

Abba have distanced themselves from claim that Boris Johnson played their hits at a party.

ABBA have responded to reports that their music was played during one of the alleged lockdown-flouting parties that was held at 10 Downing Street in 2020.One of the 12 alleged gatherings which were the subject of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s recent report – and are now under police investigation – reportedly took place on November 13, 2020 following the departure of Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s controversial aide Dominic Cummings.Sky News reports that a “victory party” was allegedly held in Johnson’s flat on that date by friends of his now-wife Carrie Johnson, during which a number of ABBA tracks, including the 1980 single ‘The Winner Takes It All’, were played. Cummings also claimed last week that there would be “witnesses who say ‘we could all hear a party with ABBA playing’”.Both Boris and Carrie Johnson have denied the claims, while Downing Street said in a statement last week that the PM would “ask Sue Gray to update her work in light of what is found” by the Metropolitan Police when they have concluded their inquiries.In a new interview with PA (via i News), ABBA’s Benny Andersson has now given his reaction to the reports that his band’s music was apparently played at the alleged party.“You can’t call it an ABBA party,” he said.

Nobody was more shocked at Boris Johnson’s alleged Downing Street parties playing Abba’s music than Abba themselves. It was recently claimed that Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie Johnson hosted a Winner Takes It All party at their Downing Street flat after Dominic Cummings resigned on November 13, 2020. Sources claimed Abba’s iconic hits were heard blasting from the gathering by aides. Benny Andersson has now addressed the reports and told PA: ‘You can’t call it an Abba party. It is a Johnson party where they happened to play some Abba music.

Abba’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad has said she was “surprised” when her bandmates Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus said in a recent interview that the band’s new album ‘Voyage’ would be their last.Last week, of course, Abba released their first new album for almost 40 years, and next year they will launch a new live show in which the four members of the band will be represented by digital avatars.So, while it seems unlikely that the real Abba will perform together on stage again any time soon, what are the chances that they might make more new music for those avatars to play? Speaking to Zoe Ball on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show yesterday, Lyngstad said: “I have learnt to say ‘never say never'”.That ‘never say never’ phrase also came up in an

Eurovision nowadays, as it has “changed so much” over the years. The singer said the singing contest is “no longer what it was”, compared to when her band Abba won the show back in 1974.Answering if she watches Eurovision on Zoe Ball's Radio 2 Breakfast Show today, Frida said: “I’m sorry to say no I don’t.

ABBA‘s Anni-Frid Lyngstad has spoken on the possibility of more new music from the group.The Swedish icons returned last week with ‘Voyage’, their first studio album in 40 years. They’ll showcase the record with a string of “revolutionary” concerts at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2022.Last month, the band’s Benny Andersson explained that ABBA would retire after releasing the record and completing its accompanying live events.

ABBA have said they will retire after releasing their new album ‘VOYAGE’ and completing its accompanying live shows next year.The Swedish pop icons will release their first studio album in 40 years next week (November 5), ahead of a series of “revolutionary” concerts in London in 2022.Instead of the band members themselves performing, the gigs will see a “digital” version of the group take to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in May.Speaking to the Guardian, the band’s Benny Andersson noted that he “never said myself that ABBA was never going to happen again”, referring to an interview on Noel Edmonds’ Late Late Breakfast Show in 1982. “But I can tell you now: this is it,” he added.

After a 39-year hiatus from their musical career, ABBA is back and will be releasing brand new music next Friday.