4 days ago
ABBA Voyage arena set to be demolished as developers unveil plans for housing estate
ABBA Voyage has been a huge success since its launch three years ago, but now the Swedish group's digital avatars are set to be kicked out of their East London arena.
I can reveal plans have been drawn up to make way for a 1,000-home neighbourhood, which would mean the venue, constructed especially for the concert spectacle, will be demolished by the end of the decade to make way for apartment blocks.
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The news is likely to devastate fans, as the group have said the concert — using state-of-the-art technology to show a younger version of the group on stage — is the closest anyone will come to seeing Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus perform together again.
It also scuppers hopes the Spice Girls could take over the arena, in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, after The Sun revealed the girl group have been planning to create their own similar digital residency.
The concert is currently booking up until January 2026, although it is expected to continue for longer.
The show's CEO and executive producer Michael Bolingbroke previously said: ' ABBA Voyage will certainly run for another couple of years and hopefully longer — in an ideal world we'd stay for ever.'
Building work on the first two phases of a major new estate is scheduled to start next year just metres away from the arena.
Real loss
That will include construction on the site of the nearby hotel and bar Snoozebox, where revellers often congregate after the performances and which only has permission to stay until the end of 2025.
The first homes on the site are scheduled to be completed in 2028, but earlier this year, ABBA's Bjorn said he believed the arena could remain until 2029.
He explained: 'We are allowed to stay in our venue till 2029, but sales might drop, you never know.'
The arena was originally built as a moveable venue, but the band later admitted they hoped the show would stay in the area.
During its run, ABBA Voyage has attracted more than two million visitors and has contributed £1.4billion to the UK economy.
A spokesperson for ABBA Voyage said: 'We are in constant dialogue with the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council about our lease and we welcome the opportunity to stay at the arena for as long as viable.
'At present, there are no plans for any changes to be made.'
It would be a real loss for it to go, but it's certainly been a massive triumph.
