The ABBA Voyage present has contributed £2.06billion to the UK economic system, a brand new report has revealed.
The bold digital present, which options CGI reincarnations (or ‘ABBA-tars’) of the Swedish pop band, started in 2022 on the purpose-built ABBA Area in east London. It’s at the moment taking bookings till June 2026.
In a glowing five-star evaluation, NME wrote: “The blockbuster visuals and results bolster ABBA’s new digital kinds by making them appear superhuman – taking us from Mediterranean sunsets to the Northern Lights after which outer-space – and make for a sensory overload as they smash by way of a marriage bangers mega-mix with gusto.”
Now, an evaluation report has revealed ABBA Voyage’s cumulative social and financial influence throughout the capital and the UK. The doc was compiled and assessed by world music, tradition and artistic economic system consultancy Sound Diplomacy.
It covers the influence of the manufacturing from its opening in Might 2022 till Might of this 12 months, together with new evaluation of the live performance’s increasing academic, group, and workforce programmes.
ABBA Voyage has additionally undertaken a full sustainability evaluation of its third operational 12 months (Might 2024 to April 2025) with consultants in enviornment sustainability, A Greener Future (AGF).
It has seen over three million guests, of whom virtually a fifth (18 per cent) travelled from outdoors the UK.
The evaluation reveals that ABBA Voyage has had a big and constructive financial and social influence, not solely on London and the native space (comprising the boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), however on the broader UK.
“The operation and attendee spending are vital turbines of financial contribution to the native, metropolis, and nationwide economies, demonstrating that ABBA Voyage continues to considerably influence the nation’s financial wealth,” the report reads.
Craig Hartenstine, Group CEO for ABBA Voyage, mentioned: “As I start my second 12 months as Group CEO for ABBA Voyage, I’m thrilled that the report reveals simply how a lot the live performance is making a distinction, not solely economically, with over £1.5billion contributed to London and greater than £2billion throughout the UK, but in addition socially, by way of schooling and group programmes which might be having an actual, lasting influence.
“We really feel an enormous accountability to maintain constructing on this. Our intention is to nurture our partnerships within the surrounding boroughs, assist London’s vibrant inventive group, and ensure ABBA Voyage continues to be a constructive presence for the individuals and neighbourhoods who’ve welcomed us so warmly.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commented: “ABBA Voyage has been an absolute sensation, redefining the chances of a music live performance and delivering an amazing increase to our economic system.
“Because it opened three years in the past, it has drawn guests from across the globe, stuffed eating places and accommodations, and given concertgoers an unforgettable night time out.”
He added: “It has as soon as once more proven why London is the music capital of the world, as we proceed to construct a greater London for everybody.”
You may see the breakdown of ABBA Voyage’s financial influence under.
UK-wide
ABBA Voyage contributed £2.06 billion in turnover to the UK economic system between Might 2022 – Might 2025, and £1.14 billion in GVA (Gross Worth Added).
The multiplier impact of ABBA Voyage on the UK economic system equates to each £1 of ABBA Voyage’s income producing a turnover of £5.70 – surpassing nationwide multiplier results of different industries reminiscent of lodging, meals and beverage and building together with different inventive industries.
ABBA Voyage has enhanced employment alternatives for 9,739 annual staff within the UK; together with these straight related to the live performance and people in different sectors which might be supported by ABBA Voyage’s existence through attendee spend (i.e. hospitality and gross sales employees, cooks, resort clerks).
London
Since opening in Might 2022, contribution to the London economic system totals £1.51 billion in turnover and £833.1 million in GVA (Gross Worth Added).
The multiplier impact of ABBA Voyage on the London economic system equates to each £1 of ABBA Voyage’s income producing a turnover of £4.17.
Attendees spent on common £224.10 per day in London, along with the price of the ticket worth to ABBA Voyage.
Native space
19% of the turnover contributed to the UK economic system was generated within the native space (boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), which equates to £388.7 million turnover and £210.7 million GVA.
Worldwide guests contributed £106.3 million (31%) of the full attendee spend within the native space since Might 2022; residents outdoors of London (throughout the UK) contributed £216.1 million (62%).
Since opening in Might 2022, ABBA Voyage has generated a median each day spend per attendee of £125.70 domestically, leading to a whole spend of £348.5 million within the native space (boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest.
ABBA Voyage has supported employment alternatives for a median of two,595 staff within the native space; together with these straight related to the live performance and people in different sectors which might be supported by ABBA Voyage’s existence through attendee spend (i.e. hospitality and gross sales employees, cooks, resort clerks).
Companies from the native space benefited from attendees of ABBA Voyage spending throughout its first three years of operation:
– Lodging sector obtained £86 million (24.7% of whole spending)
– Eating places and bars obtained £80.4 million (23.1% of whole spending)
– Transportation in London obtained £54.2 million (15.5% of whole spending)
– Business outlets obtained £44.2 million (12.7% of whole spending)
– Different leisure institutions obtained £44 million (12.6% of whole spending)
– Foods and drinks inside the sector obtained £26.2 million (7.5% of whole spending)
88.6% of spending was made outdoors of the ABBA Area.
Social influence
ABBA Voyage has generated an estimated social worth of £70.4 million since opening, with £52.4 million attributed to attendees from outdoors London and the remainder of the world. £4.9 million was generated by ABBA Voyage’s pro-social actions.
Round £11 million of the wellbeing created by ABBA Voyage pertains to individuals who attended the occasion from London outdoors of the native space, with £2.1 million regarding attendees from the native space.
Live performance-related wellbeing advantages account for £65.5 million of the full social worth, with guests reporting improved wellbeing, decreased stress, elevated cultural engagement, and strengthened social connections following attendance.
- READ MORE: The story of ABBA in 15 basic songs
Per the report, ABBA Voyage’s financial influence continues to scale at tempo, with the third 12 months including £660million in UK turnover (rising from £1.40billion over the primary two years to £2.06billion over the total three years).
Native advantages are deepening too, with local-area turnover rising by £126.6million (from £262.1million to £388.7million).
“These developments display that ABBA Voyage is evolving from a groundbreaking leisure expertise right into a long-term cultural, financial and social asset for London and the UK,” the findings learn.
Talking to NME in 2023, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus mirrored on Voyage’s success whereas seeking to the way forward for the manufacturing.
“It’s wonderful – it has surpassed any dream I may have ever had,” he mentioned of reaching the milestone of entertaining a million individuals in lower than a 12 months since Voyage first opened. “We’ve someway reached new generations by some miracle. I don’t understand how, however there you might be. [2008 musical movie] Mamma Mia, I suppose performed a task in that. There are new generations coming alongside.”
He additionally addressed the reported plans for the expertise to be taken on a world tour, telling NME: “We hope to remain on this venue for so long as we are able to. We hope they’ll have us for a few years, and we would construct different replicas of this in different places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are tons and promoters and cities that we’re speaking to in the meanwhile about that.
“Each would take at the very least two years to construct, however there will likely be bulletins in the direction of the tip of this 12 months or the start of subsequent about the place we really are going. That’s if we’re going someplace, which we’ll.”
The most recent music ABBA got here on the 2021 accompanying ‘Voyage’ album, together with the brand new singles ‘I Nonetheless Have Religion In You’, ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ and ‘Simply A Notion’.
In 2021, the ABBA Voyage producers spoke to NME about engaged on the “magical house circus”. The spectacle was put collectively by former Klaxons member James Righton and options Little Boots as a part of the dwell band.
