ABBA land ‘multi-million-dollar’ deal to bring avatar show to Las Vegas
Written by worldOneFm on April 2, 2024
ABBA are reportedly poised to ink a multi-million-dollar deal to bring ‘ABBA Voyage’ to Las Vegas.
The Swedish pop icons are said to be working with Resorts World to bring their hugely popular avatar show that currently takes place at the custom-built ABBA Arena in London to Sin City.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “ABBA has been secretly in talks for a while about getting a deal in Vegas.
“The music of Abba is well liked in the US.
“And the unique selling point of avatars makes it more than an ABBA show as the spectacular is something that could well wow audiences.”
It’s not the first time there has been talks of the show heading to Vegas, as back in 2021, the ‘Dancing Queen’ hitmakers were the subject of a fierce bidding war between venues for a potential 2024 avatar residency.
The group – comprising Benny Andersson, 77, Agnetha Faltskog, 73, Bjorn Ulvaeus, 78, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, also 78 – had MGM Resorts, Caesars Palace and Resorts World locked in a battle to host the ‘Waterloo’ hitmakers’ digital avatar show named after the record on The Strip.
And it appears Resorts World have won the bidding war.
It has even been claimed the ‘Money, Money, Money’ hitmakers could rake in close to £1 billion if they agree to a deal.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column at the time: “There is a huge appetite for Abba’s new show ‘Voyage’ in Las Vegas.
“MGM Resorts, Caesars Palace and Resorts World are desperate to secure it and have been locked in a bidding war over it.
“Abba’s appeal is global and it would be a huge showcase to have this new avatar technology on the Vegas Strip.
“Talks are in the early stages between promoters and the big three casinos here for entertainment.
“The word is that the major decision, aside from the money deal, is about the best fit for the sound facility and creating an intimate crowd.
“The dream would be for the show to move to the States after its London run and in Vegas, it’s believed it could make almost £1billion.
“Plans at the moment are centred around a suggested 2024 opening which would coincide with the 50th anniversary of their ‘Eurovision’ win and the release of chart-topper ‘Waterloo’.”
Bjorn previously insisted this type of concert means the run could go on forever.
He said: “Abbatars never tire. They can do 10 shows a day. No private jets. No riders. No worries about voices.”
The ‘Thank You For The Music’ hitmakers teamed up with an 850-strong team from Industrial Light and Magic – the company founded by ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas – to create digital versions of themselves for the concert, using months of motion-capture and performance techniques.
The concert experience opened on May 27, 2022, at the ABBA Arena, which is a state-of-the-art 3,000 capacity arena located at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
