Abba star says avatars are ‘the future’ as Voyage welcomes millionth customer

‘I could never have dreamt it would be a million before the end of one year,’ ABBA star Bjorn Ulvaeus has said
Josie Felix, the one millionth customer at ABBA Voyage, (second left) with sister Emily (hidden, father Sunny (centre) and mother Jeney (left), as she meets Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA
PA
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Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus said he “could never have dreamt” the pop group’s Voyage London show would reach so many people in under a year as he met the one millionth customer of the popular stage event.

In an interview to mark the milestone, Ulvaeus said that - while he was initially nervous about how the show would be received - he “knew it was working” once he saw it with an audience.

The popular stage show sees digital versions of Abba’s members performing with a 10-piece live band at a specially designed venue in east London.

“I could never have dreamt it would be a million before the end of one year,” he said.

“That means it’s been almost choc-a-block full every night which is fabulous.

“It’s been a long project, I was nervous up until the first preview with an audience. But then when I saw it with an audience I knew it was working.”

The Abba Voyage virtual concert (Abba Voyage/PA)
PA Media

Ulvaeus also said he believes the technology that makes the show possible offers a glimpse into the future of live music.

“Having lived with the technology and with the project for over five years it has kind of become like, well yes, that’s how the future looks, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.

“Copies of ourselves, avatars, will go on living after we are dead, and that’s the way of the future.”

The one millionth customer was Josie Felix, 20, who was treated to a surprise meet and greet with Ulvaeus on Monday.

People with tickets for Monday were encouraged to nominate themselves or someone else to be the millionth customer, with Ms Felix the eventual winner.

She said: “It feels amazing, didn’t think it would happen but it did.

“I’m looking forward to Fernando, Dancing Queen, Voulez-Vouz, all of them really.

“They said there’d be a surprise but I didn’t think it’d be this big, this is quite extraordinary.”

Abba Vogage was launched just 11 months ago.

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