We asked Blue Sail’s very own Dancing Queen, Neen Kelly, to tell us about the new museum she visited …
On a recent business trip to Stockholm I found myself with time to kill. It was the day after the opening of ABBA The Museum, and I thought I should see what all the fuss was about; it would be rude not to. Although not a huge fan, like most women of my age I like to boogie along to Dancing Queen. It is a cashless museum and I duly booked my timed ticket online. Strangely, there were no signs to help me find it but as I approached the combination of fresh tarmac, piles of barriers and the red carpet still in place from the opening were enough to let me know that I had arrived.
A large lit up ABBA sign greeted me as I entered the exhibits and a slick flashback video helped to set the mood. After this I was taken back in time to learn how the band got together. There were many photos of their youth, memorabilia and videos supported by a constant and cheerful ABBA soundtrack. There is a whole area dedicated to their famous Eurovision win in Brighton with Waterloo. Diary entries, videos, and their costumes from their performance all helped add to the atmosphere of it all.
There are booths where visitors can sing along to their favourite songs and even a stage where they can get up and sing with a digital version of the band – and people did! It was a hoot, and I could see tears of laughter streaming down faces of friends, families and couples. You can also dance in a disco, and spot the real fanatics reminiscing as they wander along the cabinets of awards, photos and more costumes, which are stunningly terrible.
It was a truly fun experience. I left with a spring in my step and a soundtrack in my head. Thank you for the music!