• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it

2

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

3

A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history

1

CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it

2

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

3

A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history
Lifestyleconcerts
Europe

ABBA’s London concerts aren’t making as much as Taylor Swift’s Eras tour—but they’re pulling in $2 million a week without even showing up

Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 5, 2023, 11:47 AM ET
a picture of abba band members
ABBA's band members in 1974. Universal Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé might be making history with their economy-boosting tours, but one pop act from yesteryear is raking in millions a week without ever stepping foot onstage.

Recommended Video

ABBA Voyage’s shows began last May, featuring hologram performances by the artists in a tailor-made east London venue.

And despite never seeing the musicians in the flesh, the east London events have drawn huge crowds and rave reviews.

The shows feature three-dimensional digital avatars of the four original ABBA band members singing classics like “Fernando” and “Dancing Queen.”

The motivation behind bringing the Swedish quartet to crowds in their 1970s glory is simple: The members are now much older, and didn’t tour much even as younger artists.

The bottom line

Given the sophisticated technology involved in running each concert, the whole venture was (unsurprisingly) an expensive undertaking.

Before its first-ever show, costs had already piled up to £140 million ($176 million), Bloomberg reported, making it the most expensive in music production to date.

But the show has fared well so far—most of the concerts run full, Bloomberg reported, and loyal fans continue to flock in big numbers to watch ABBA’s digital re-creations.

The virtual reality concert had already sold 1.6 million tickets, the project’s lead investor, Pophouse, revealed last week.

With an average ticket price of £85 ($105), the Swedish band’s concert is estimated by Bloomberg to rake in $2 million each week—over 15 months, that’s amounted to $150 million.    

“It was meticulously prepared, enormously expensive and incredibly difficult to create believable digital people,” said Svana Gisla, a producer of the concert, told the Guardian earlier this year. “But the result is magical.”

Producers of ABBA Voyage are reportedly looking to expand the tour to other cities like New York and Singapore. It’s also set to continue running in London for the foreseeable future. 

Here we go again

Even though ABBA’s music is more than four decades old, the pop group has managed to stay relevant courtesy of a stage adaptation and movies named Mamma Mia—which its songs inspired.

Advancements in music technology served as an opportunity for ABBA to make its comeback, without having to undertake an actual tour following its breakup.

“ABBA has done it again,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin told Bloomberg. “They were early to music videos, they were early to jukebox musicals.” 

Representatives at ABBA Voyage and Pophouse didn’t immediately return Fortune’s request for comment. 

Concert business and big money 

It’s an open secret—concerts make a lot of money for artists. This year has been dominated by the concerts of two big pop icons—Beyoncé and Swift, partly because it marked the return to full-scale world tours after years of no such activity due to the pandemic. 

Estimates show that Beyoncé could make as much as $2 billion from her Renaissance tour, which started in May and is slated for 57 shows globally. For Swift, the estimate is roughly $1.62 billion by the end of the Eras tour. 

Concerts are a novelty for some artists, which helps explain why scores of fans travel from all over the world to catch them performing live. This interest often boosts economic activity in industries including travel and hospitality.

One example of this was the so-called “Beyoncé blip,” a phenomenon observed in Sweden where prices of hotel rooms and other recreational activities rose in the lead-up to Beyoncé’s Stockholm concert. 

It’s unclear how much each of the four ABBA band members make from their virtual shows in London. But for a concert that doesn’t need its artists to physically perform each night, ABBA Voyage is making a killing.  

About the Author
Prarthana Prakash
By Prarthana PrakashEurope Business News Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Prarthana Prakash was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Lifestyle

American Airlines is suspending some summer routes thanks to the cost of jet fuel
Travel & LeisureAmerican Airlines Group
American Airlines is suspending some summer routes thanks to the cost of jet fuel
By The Associated Press and Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsJune 4, 2026
14 hours ago
The label from a box of peptides next to 10 vials of an orange substance.
CryptoCryptocurrency
I bought peptides with crypto. How my purchase helped fuel a $100 million gray-market, ‘looksmaxxing’ economy
By Ben WeissJune 4, 2026
15 hours ago
Melinda French Gates is betting $215 million on women’s health—and daring her fellow billionaires to follow
MPWMost Powerful Women
Melinda French Gates is betting $215 million on women’s health—and daring her fellow billionaires to follow
By Emma HinchliffeJune 4, 2026
16 hours ago
60
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
‘My first response is, it started in 1968 — not a bad run’: Some see the death of 60 Minutes after Pelley’s firing, ‘murder’ comments
By Jocelyn Noveck and The Associated PressJune 4, 2026
16 hours ago
worm
HealthFood and drink
Flesh-eating fly found in Texas cattle for first time in decades
By The Associated PressJune 4, 2026
16 hours ago
What Alix Earle knows about business that many of my Harvard Business School students don’t get
CommentaryFortune Media Network
What Alix Earle knows about business that many of my Harvard Business School students don’t get
By Reza SatchuJune 4, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it
Success
CEO says anyone who works from home is grabbing groceries or at the vet 30% of the time—and shows off his busy office at Friday 5 p.m. to prove it
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 4, 2026
22 hours ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
2 days ago
A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history
Startups & Venture
A single new sentence in SpaceX's amended IPO filing could signal the biggest merger in history
By Shawn TullyJune 4, 2026
22 hours ago
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
Economy
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
By Nick LichtenbergJune 4, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 4, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 4, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 4, 2026
16 hours ago
Teens are up against the worst summer job market in nearly 80 years—they’re fighting against hundreds to work at ice cream shops and swimming pools
Success
Teens are up against the worst summer job market in nearly 80 years—they’re fighting against hundreds to work at ice cream shops and swimming pools
By Emma BurleighJune 2, 2026
3 days ago