ABBA Voyage première

Filmed: Thursday 26 May 2022

Location: ABBA Arena, London, UK

Release status: Unreleased

Shown in: Worldwide - Internet and TV

Additional information

ABBA arrived by taxi (Agnetha and Frida sitting together and Benny and Björn sitting opposite them) fairly early into the red carpet arrivals.  They started off talking to the press together (ie. all four of them) but their PR split them into two couples (Björn & Frida and Benny & Agnetha) shortly afterwards to speed things up.  So there were some interviews with all four of them initially. 

It was noted that Björn, so heavily involved in the pre-show promotion, took a back seat and let Agnetha and Frida do a lot more of the talking.

At one point, they broke free from the red carpet to stand for photos in front of the crowds of fans. Benny even signed something for a fan in the crowd.

Celebs appearing (in no particular order):

Broadcasts and footage:

  1. ABBA's Journey to the Arena
    Footage published by ABBA Voyage shows Benny hailing a London black taxi cab, holding the door open for Frida, Agnetha and Björn before getting in himself and then them all getting out at the ABBA Arena.  A great idea to show ABBA showing up in a taxi cab rather than big, posh cars.  They left from The Stratford Hotel, International Way, E20 1FD, 8 minutes car drive from the ABBA Arena.
    Set to The Visitors.
     
  2. Private footage
    Short private footage from someone who was there outside ABBA's hotel shows Benny hailing the cab and ABBA getting in.
     
  3. The Sun Showbiz - Celebrities arrive for the premiere of ABBA's new stage show
    A live-stream of the VIP arrivals on the red carpet.  Interviews with Svana Gisla (Producer), Bailie Walsh (Director), Wayne McGregor (choreographer).  First appearance of ABBA is about 54 minutes in.  They are then interviewed by the BBC Entertainment Correspondent Colin Patterson and then someone else.  They were asked how they got involved with ABBA again, what their families think of the show (they hadn't seen it yet at that point) and memories of their last concert in Japan.  Agnetha said she was very emotional.  They were asked whether they'd be anything else from ABBA. Frida said you never know if they carried on living!   Benny reckoned they'd done enough.
     
  4. NME (New Musical Express)
    Interview firstly with Björn and Frida and then Agnetha and Benny. Benny makes the point that the NME used to hate ABBA!   Frida said she felt fantastic and said she'd already seen the show, the previous Monday but that she wanted to see the audience reaction again.  Agnetha said she felt a bit tense but excited.  Benny said that the five weeks they spent together recording the show was really nice - they spent all day together and had lunch together every day etc.  When asked if there'll be anything more from ABBA, Benny said that after this, they'll go home and sleep!
     
  5. ABBA Voyage TikTok
    A montage of footage of ABBA's red carpet arrival. Zara Larsson steals a kiss and a hug from Agnetha.
    Set to Summer Night City
     
  6. ZIB 2 - ORF (Austria)
    Very brief interviews with Frida and then Benny.  Queen Silvia also says a few words.  Broadcast 27 May 2022.
     
  7. AP Archive
    Interview with Björn and Frida and footage of ABBA.
     
  8. The Project (Australia)
    Brief report from a London correspondent, Lucy McDonald, who referred to “fat Benny from ABBA”.  Rude.
     
  9. ORF News - Aktuell nach Eins (Austria)
    Uses footage from 1. above and 6. above.
     
  10. Nyhetsmorgon (Sweden)
    TV4, Sweden - broadcast Sunday 29 May 2022
    Anders Philbad presented his report from the ABBA Voyage première including interviews with Agnetha and Benny and King Carl Gustaf, Carola Häggkvist, Eva Dahlgren and Efva Attling, Elaine Paige, Jacob Wallenberg (Swedish banker), Jonas Gardell and Mark Levengood, Lasse Hallström and Lena Olin, Ludvig Andersson, Tomas Ledin, Peter and Nanne Grönvall, Marie Ledin, Queen Silvia, Tommy Körberg, Wayne McGregor and Zara Larsson
     
  11. Style Record Group. com
     Uses footage from 1. above in a better, edited, format.
     
  12. Tik-Tok live stream
    Hosted by Josh Smith with intermittent footage of the making of ABBA Voyage.  He starts off talking to fans.  But there is a brief interview with ABBA and he also talks to the ABBA Voyage band, Bailie Walsh, Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson, Wayne McGregor, Elaine Paige, Ben Miller (Industrial Light & Magic), Penny Lancaster, Steph McGovern, Zara Larsson, Kitty Scott-Claus and Ella Vaday, Mylene Klaas, Stacey Haynes, Grace Dent, Kylie Minogue and Rupert Everett.
     
  13. ABBA Voyage - Can we relive this night?
    Footage already used but with extra celebrity interviews
     
  14. Jamie Lowe
    Social media broadcaster starts off talking to fans and there's a brief interview with Elaine Paige and Sharleen Spiteri.  Plus Björn chats to him.
     
  15. Sveriges Radio (Sweden)
    Benny and Agnetha chat to Carolina Norén. Benny talks about the show that they have been working on for over five years. Agnetha will see it for the first time. She also comments on the fact that the four of them are there together ”it is quite emotional”. When asked if we can expect more ABBA-news. Benny replies, ”No, this is it”. Agnetha says ”we are not in our thirties anymore”.
     
  16. @howelldavies
    This is the brief snippet of Agnetha being asked if there will be any more - and Benny jumps in and says, "Why is everyone asking that if tit'll be more?   We're doing something after 40 years, we make an album, we make this, we built an arena and we work five and half years to achieve something and you are asking will there be more?!   Noooooo!!!"  Agnetha touches his arm and says, “They want more!”.

     

Agnetha's coat was by Fendi.
Frida's jacket was also Fendi, as were her trousers.
Benny's long, brightly-coloured coat was by Yohji Yamamoto.

Thanks to Jan Bach, Kevin Munns, Jason Swan, Jonathan Bollen and Hjördis Bye, Gordon Holm and Ray Morrison c/o ABBAtalk.
Extra thanks to Monique Hoevens. Yoland Zorio.
YouTube videos c/o The Sun Showbiz, NME, André Selbach, AP Archive, The Project, Style Record Group. com, ABBA XXI, Jamie Lowe and Abba Moments




 

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