The ABBA Museum, a place that celebrates all things about the supergroup comprised of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, was due to open June 4, 2009, in central Stockholm. The Swedish band rose to global stardom in the 1970s, with their music having been featured in movies.
Why the Opening of the ABBA Museum Has Been Delayed
The opening of the official ABBA museum, which is referred to as “ABBA the Museum,” has turned out to be more complicated than expected. The century-old Stora Tullhuset, which is where the museum is located on the waterfront, is being renovated and the makeover is taking longer than what was projected. Reports have pegged the opening as having been postponed indefinitely. Potential visitors who have already purchased tickets may receive a refund.
What’s Inside the ABBA Museum
Once the doors to ABBA the Museum do open, visitors can expect to find more than 4,000 square metres housing ABBA memorabilia on three floors. Exhibits will feature the band’s music, obviously, as well as history and costumes. A studio will allow fans to create their own ABBA songs, a store will sell ABBA merchandise, and a café, styled in 1970s décor, will feed the hungry.
In December 2008, Touring Exhibitions, a company linked to Polar Music, the label that helped launch ABBA to stardom, bought the museum project. While work on the museum’s location continues, Touring Exhibitions is working on taking its collection of all things ABBA on a world tour dubbed “ABBAworld.”
The Touring Exhibition ABBAworld
“ABBAworld will make it possible for fans of all generations and from all over the world to experience the music, memories and magic of Abba through the innovative use of technology in sound, visuals and communications,” Touring Exhibitions president Magnus Danielsson said in a statement. The exhibition is scheduled to premiere in Europe later in 2009, and Touring Exhibitions is planning to launch an accompanying website in September 2009.
Pop group ABBA came together in 1972 and topped the music charts until the early 1980s. Harmonies, simple lyrics and catchy song hooks helped propel the quartet to international fame. The group is one of the world’s best-selling bands, having sold more than 370 million albums worldwide, according to an Associated Press report.
The museum to pay tribute to the band ABBA will not open on schedule (June 2009) due to the complexity in renovating the Stora Tullhuset, that will house the project. While the opening of the museum has been postponed indefinitely as work on the building continues, fans may still be able to revel in ABBA memorabilia via ABBAworld, an exhibition set to tour the world.
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