Swedish pop group ABBA is seen at London's Waterloo rail station in 1974, from left: Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus. (John Downing/Express/Getty Images) Details of a "stunning, sequin-spangled" exhibit devoted to Swedish pop supergroup ABBA were unveiled Monday, with the installation set to open in London in the New Year.
ABBAWORLD will take over London's Earls Court as of Jan. 27, with a sprawling 25 rooms full of memorabilia, behind-the-scenes material and exclusive music and images drawn from the personal collections of the band's members: Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Interactive components will include stations where fans can "perform" with 3-D holograms of the band members, attempt to mix an ABBA song and incorporate themselves into an ABBA video, album cover or poster.
"On behalf of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and I, we are delighted to be part of ABBAWORLD and to have the opportunity to share our amazing experiences with our fans," Lyngstad said in a statement.
"The interactive elements mean this is the first time we can actually take [fans] on the journey with us. London has a special place in all our hearts and we are looking forward to the world premiere of ABBAWORLD in January."
A plan for a museum devoted to the Swedish supergroup in central Stockholm has been delayed amid ongoing renovation work on the heritage building where the museum is to be located.
Instead, organizers dedicated their efforts to creating the ABBAWORLD exhibit, which is expected to tour worldwide after appearing in London.
ABBA, which has sold more than 350 million albums worldwide, skyrocketed to fame in the late 1970s, bolstered by their 1974 win of the Eurovision Song Contest (with their tune Waterloo) in Brighton. Most recently, the band's music inspired the blockbuster jukebox musical Mamma Mia! that has toured theatres worldwide, and was adapted into a Hollywood film.
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