ABBA fans rejoice—you are finally getting a place that will allow you to properly worship your beloved musical group. According to news reports, an ABBA museum “dedicated to the music, clothing and history of the legendary Swedish pop group and its four members will open in Stockholm in 2008.”
Loyal ABBA fans say it’s about time. From the sounds of it, I would say it’s worth the wait. According to event consultants, the interactive museum will feature original outfits and instruments used by the group, handwritten song lyrics, and a display of different awards. In addition, the museum will also feature a studio where visitors can record their own ABBA songs, and an interactive experience that “will recreate the feeling of being at Wembley stadium and seeing ABBA live with 50,000 others.” Pretty impressive, only die-hard fans will still have to wait another two years before the doors of the new museum will open. Organizers say they are still searching for a suitable location for the museum, but said they have narrowed it down to a part of central Stockholm.
Developers say the idea for the museum was inspired by the Beatles museum in London, but interestingly, the reason the massive ABBA shrine has yet to be complete is that it took nearly two years to convince former group members – Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Reuss – that it was a good idea.
Band members say they want the building to be “a fun and swinging museum to visit.” To ensure that it is ABBA members pledged to donate the material for the exhibits, however they told local reporters they will otherwise not be involved in the project, which will be funded by company sponsors.
Stockholm’s mayor told reporters the museum is expected to draw 500,000 visitors a year and will help make the Swedish capital a more popular tourist attraction for the millions of ABBA fans around the world. Statistics show ABBA is one of the most successful bands in history, having sold more than 370 million albums. Even though the group has not performed together since 1982, it continues to sell nearly 3 million records a year. In addition, the musical “Mamma Mia!” – written by Andersson and Ulvaeus and based on the group’s hits – has been seen by more than 27 million people around the world.