ABBA is taking a chance on 3D

Swedish pop group ABBA, known for classics like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia,” has created one of the most successful live shows of the year – without ever stepping foot on-stage.

The group’s ongoing ABBA Voyage tour, featuring hologram performances by the artists at a specially designed venue in London, has drawn huge crowds and rave reviews since it began in May 2022.

💃🕺 How does it work?... While many deceased artists have launched tours where they take the stage in digital form – including Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, and Frank Zappa – the producers of ABBA Voyage and the band itself felt such performances weren’t very entertaining or realistic.

• So instead, they used 160 motion-capture cameras to film ABBA members performing 22 of their songs live, in addition to recording younger body doubles to make the band members’ movements look youthful.
• With the help of 1,000 visual-effects artists, the production company then built a custom arena using 600 tons of overhead lighting equipment to create the illusion of a real-life band, with ABBA members’ 3D avatars aged down to 28 years old.

The whole setup represents one of the most expensive productions in music history, carrying a price tag of around $175 million.

But the large investment has paid off. ABBA Voyage, which typically plays seven shows per week, has been at least 99% sold out for every single performance over the past 15 months, according to Bloomberg. Overall, the show has sold 1.6 million tickets at an average price of $105, nearly earning back its initial investment (and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down).

👀 Looking ahead… Producers of ABBA Voyage are now looking to expand the tour to other major cities, including New York and Singapore. Mamma Mia! Here we go again.