Unspecified/General

Hands-on and unashamedly fun, ABBA The Museum on the Stockholm island of Djurgarden tells the story of the Swedish quartet whose music became a global phenomenon after their 1974 Eurovision win, and has drawn crowds of fans and curious visitors since it opened in 2013. The museum was built around the idea that visitors should take part rather than merely look, so alongside the cases of original costumes, gold records and instruments there are interactive stations where guests can sing with the band as holograms, dance on a virtual stage, mix recordings at a control desk and dress themselves digitally in the group's glittering outfits. Faithful recreations bring the band's world to life, including the cottage studio where some of their best-known songs were composed and a working red telephone connected directly to the members, who occasionally call. The building also houses the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, broadening the visit into the wider story of the country's remarkable pop output. The enduring popularity of the band, sustained by stage shows, films and a later virtual concert, has kept the museum among the city's busiest attractions, appealing across generations to longtime devotees and newcomers alike. The genuine artefacts on show are considerable, ranging from the elaborate, sequinned stage costumes and platform boots that defined the group's flamboyant look to gold and platinum discs, instruments and items from their private lives, all set out so that the memorabilia and the interactive play reinforce one another. A recreation of the small island cottage where the songwriting pair retreated to compose, and the celebrated red telephone with a number known only to the four members, who occasionally ring it to the delight of whoever happens to be nearby, are among the touches that bring the band's world close. The wider building also contains the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, which sets the group within the broader and surprisingly large story of the country's success as an exporter of pop music. Standing on Djurgarden among the city's leading museums and reached easily by tram or ferry, it is well placed to form part of a day spent exploring that leafy island. Sustained interest in the band, fed by a long-running stage musical, hit films and a pioneering virtual concert using digital avatars, has kept the museum thronged with visitors, who range from those who grew up with the music to children discovering it anew.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 68 Djurgardsvagen, Stockholm, Sweden

Website: https://abbathemuseum.com

Opening Date: 07/05/2013