When ABBA announced they were coming back-not with a reunion tour, but with a digital concert where their 1979 selves perform live on stage-you could hear the collective sigh of fans worldwide. Some thought it was gimmicky. Others called it genius. On November 6, 2025, after more than two years of sold-out shows, ABBA Voyage at the O2 in London isn’t just a concert. It’s a time machine.
What Is ABBA Voyage?
ABBA Voyage is a live concert experience where digital avatars of ABBA-Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid-perform as they looked in 1979. These aren’t simple projections. They’re fully animated, real-time rendered avatars, created using motion capture from the band members themselves. Every head tilt, finger snap, and shoe shuffle was recorded over weeks of sessions. The result? A version of ABBA that moves, sings, and even sweats like they did 45 years ago.
The show takes place inside a custom-built 3,000-seat arena next to the O2, called the ABBA Arena. It’s not inside the O2 itself, but it’s connected by a covered walkway. The venue was designed from the ground up for this show-no other concert could fit here. The stage is a curved, 360-degree platform surrounded by 1,200 LED panels that shift with the music. When "Dancing Queen" kicks in, the whole room turns gold. When "The Winner Takes It All" plays, the screens go dark except for a single spotlight on the avatar’s face.
How It Feels to Be There
Walking in, you expect a tech demo. What you get is a concert that feels more human than most live shows today.
The lights dim. A single spotlight hits the center. The opening chords of "Super Trouper" echo. And then-there they are. Not on a screen. Not as CGI ghosts. As living, breathing versions of themselves, standing on a stage, dancing in perfect sync, singing with the same pitch-perfect harmonies that made them global icons.
There’s a moment during "Mamma Mia" when the avatar of Agnetha leans into the mic, smiles, and winks at the crowd. Half the audience screams. The other half just stares, tears in their eyes. That’s the magic. It’s not about replacing the real band. It’s about giving people who never got to see ABBA live the chance to feel like they did.
The sound system is engineered by the same team behind Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour. Every tambourine shake, every synth ripple, every vocal layer is crystal clear. No echo. No delay. You hear exactly what was recorded in 1979-and it sounds better than ever.
The ExCeL London Connection
While the concert happens at the ABBA Arena next to the O2, the real behind-the-scenes magic is at ExCeL London, just across the Thames.
ExCeL is a massive convention center that used to host trade shows and tech expos. Now, it’s the nerve center of ABBA Voyage. That’s where the motion capture happened. Where the digital models were built. Where 40 engineers and animators spent 18 months turning four people into 12-foot-tall digital legends.
Visitors can’t go inside ExCeL during the show-but you can see the building from the river walk. It’s where the real work happened: scanning their faces with 3D cameras, recording their vocal tones in isolation booths, even capturing the way Benny’s fingers moved across the piano keys. That data became the DNA of the avatars.
One of the engineers told me: "We didn’t want them to look like video game characters. We wanted them to look like people you’d meet at a family barbecue. That’s why we kept the freckles. That’s why Agnetha’s hair still has that one strand that always falls over her eye."
Is It Worth the Price?
Tickets range from £65 to £175. That’s more than a normal concert. But here’s the thing: you’re not paying for a band. You’re paying for a moment.
Think about it. How many artists from the 70s can you still see perform live? The Rolling Stones? They’re 80. Bruce Springsteen? He’s 75. ABBA? They’re in their 70s too-but here they are, dancing like they’re 30.
And the show lasts 90 minutes. No opening act. No long breaks. Just nonstop ABBA hits. You leave with your ears ringing and your heart full.
There’s also the ABBA The Museum experience nearby-a free exhibit with costumes, instruments, and original recordings. It’s included with your ticket. You can spend an extra hour there before or after the show. It’s like stepping into a time capsule.
Who Is This For?
Not everyone gets it. Some critics say it’s "uncanny valley"-that the avatars feel creepy. But most people who’ve seen it say the opposite. It feels like a gift.
If you’re a fan who saw ABBA in 1978? This is closure. It’s the concert you never got to see.
If you’re a 25-year-old who discovered ABBA on TikTok? This is your first real concert. And it’s unforgettable.
Parents bring their kids. Grandparents bring their grandchildren. Friends who haven’t spoken in years show up together. It’s not just music. It’s memory.
What Makes This Different From Other Hologram Shows?
Other bands have tried "holograms." Tupac at Coachella. Roy Orbison in Las Vegas. But those were flat, two-dimensional projections. They looked like ghosts.
ABBA Voyage is the first time a band has used real-time motion capture, full-body animation, and live audio syncing to create avatars that move, breathe, and interact with the crowd. They even have eye contact with the audience. When Benny looks at you during "Take a Chance on Me," you feel it.
It’s not magic. It’s engineering. But it feels like magic.
What’s Next?
ABBA Voyage has sold out through 2026. There’s talk of a U.S. version. Maybe even a version where you can choose your setlist via an app.
But for now, this is it. The only place in the world where ABBA is still performing. And it’s not just a concert. It’s the future of live music.
You don’t need to be a fan to appreciate it. You just need to believe that music can outlive the people who made it.
Is ABBA Voyage at the O2 or ExCeL?
The concert happens at the ABBA Arena, a custom-built venue right next to the O2 Arena in Greenwich. You walk from the O2’s main entrance through a covered passage to reach it. ExCeL London is a separate building across the river-it’s where the digital avatars were created and animated, but you can’t attend shows there.
Are the ABBA avatars real people?
No, they’re digital avatars created using motion capture data from the real ABBA members. The band spent months in a studio wearing motion suits and facial sensors while performing the songs. That data was turned into 3D models that move and sing in real time. The voices are original 1979 recordings, remastered for today’s sound systems.
How long is the ABBA Voyage show?
The concert lasts 90 minutes with no intermission. It includes 20 ABBA hits, from "Waterloo" to "The Visitors," performed in chronological order. There’s also a short pre-show video about how the avatars were made, which runs before the lights go down.
Can you take photos or videos during the show?
No. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside the ABBA Arena. This is to protect the technology and preserve the experience. There are official photo spots outside the venue after the show, and you can buy high-quality prints and digital downloads from the gift shop.
Is ABBA Voyage suitable for children?
Yes. The show is family-friendly, with no explicit content, and many families bring kids. The lights, dancing, and catchy songs make it engaging for all ages. Children under 5 are not permitted, but anyone over 5 needs a ticket. The ABBA The Museum next door has interactive exhibits designed specifically for younger fans.