Thank you for the music: Be your own Dancing Queen at Abba's new museum

For a band that wore the spangliest costumes of the Seventies (against stiff, sequined competition), Abba the Museum is a self-effacing place.

Opening this week on the Stockholm island of Djurgården, it's located between the wholesome outdoor museum of Skansen and the Tivoli Gröna Lund amusement park - which feels perfect for Abba's unique blend of pop seriousness and exuberance.

On the other hand, the museum is largely underground. Which feels appropriate, really. Coming here in search of Abba is like going to Liverpool to find it purged of everything Beatle-related.

The way they were: Abba's Björn, Agnetha, Frida and Benny on stage in their heyday


Historically, Stockholm doesn't really do Abba. All that's about to change. As part of a multi-million pound Swedish Music Hall of Fame, Abba finally get their due and one of the four, Björn Ulvaeus, is on hand to give his reaction. Despite the name, none of the band wanted it to be just about them. There is also a section devoted to more anonymous hit-makers such Max Martin, responsible for Britney Spears's biggest hits.


'It's the Swedish Garbo tradition,' says Björn when he talks about the younger generation of pop musicians he admires.

It's safe to say Abba didn't have a Garbo tendency. The first thing you see on descending to the museum are giant letters with lightbulbs spelling the band members' initials. The museum is in different sections - including Brighton, where Abba romped to Eurovision victory in 1974 with Waterloo, featuring their original costumes (wow, Frida was slim!) complete with the star-shaped guitar Björn played there.

'I think they found it in Germany,' says Björn. 'We never kept things like that - we mostly gave them to charity.' There's the mixing studio that was used for all their biggest hits, while a telephone commemorates Ring Ring (an Abba nerd like me knows that was their Swedish hit before the all-important Waterloo). Only four people will have the number - and if the phone rings, it'll be Benny, Agnetha, Björn or Frida ringing for a chat.

Tourist attraction: The museum will be located on the Stockholm island of Djurgården


But it's an upright piano that brings most memories flooding back for Björn. 'We wrote The Winner Takes It All on it - I can remember we played it all night in our cottage in the archipelago,' he says, looking wistful. Björn looks at some of the early photographs of himself. 'It's like looking at another person's life when I look at these photographs. I mean, we're smoking - everyone did in those days. He feels like a stranger.'

Then Björn reverts to self-effacing Swede. 'It gives me an alibi - otherwise this would be very narcissistic.' Ultimately, Abba the Museum mixes feelgood karaoke with high-tech fantasy fulfilment. You'll be able to get up and dance along with the band, fully costumed, remix tracks and - best of all - download the whole thing afterwards.

The rough idea is walk in, dance out and sing along when you're there. Like the band itself, Abba the Museum will never be cool but it should be great fun.

'We took the music seriously,' says Björn as he explains the concept. 'But nothing else.'

Getting there

Entrance to Abba the Museum costs 195 Swedish kronor (£19) for adults, 50 kronor (£5) for children. See Flights to Stockholm with SAS ( start at £73 one way. A one-night stay at the Clarion Sign (, including breakfast and two tickets to Abba the Museum, starts at £176.