EAST LONDON — Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad attended a performance of Abba Voyage for schoolchildren on Tuesday at the Abba Arena in east London. The venue launched an expanded education programme to support young people in east London entering the creative industries during the event.
The new programme includes an autumn school programme and a mentoring scheme. It aims to offer apprenticeship opportunities at local entertainment venues in Stratford. Many entertainment venues relocated or expanded to Stratford following the area's regeneration for the 2012 Olympics.
The venue invited several local schools to the launch event. Free earplugs were provided to attendees before the concert. Teachers encouraged students to stand, sing, and move during the performance.
Andersson and Lyngstad appeared on stage at the end of the performance. They led the audience in singing "Thank You for the Music" and met with some children afterward. "To write a bad song is easy, to write a good song, you need to sit down there for hours and days and weeks before something might pop up," Andersson said.
Andersson plays the piano daily in an effort to compose music. "Sometimes things come out, the dragon comes out of the cave, but very rarely nowadays," he said. Lyngstad addressed their ongoing relationship, stating, "We’re always friends, even if we live in different countries."
Craig Hartenstine, Chief Executive of the venue, said the programme aims to help young people "build the skills and confidence that can lead to real opportunities in the future." He added, "We’re proud of what has already been achieved alongside our partners, and excited to deepen that impact through new mentoring, training and employment pathways in the years ahead." The show has engaged with 8,500 young people through existing initiatives, including twice-yearly concerts for nearby London state schools. The venue participates in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Talent Pathways programme and implemented ticket schemes for young people to improve access to live music experiences. The Abba Arena committed to hiring at least 50% of its staff from the surrounding area. It opened in 2022 and features digital representations of the original band members. The show has attracted more than two million visitors and generated at least £1.4bn for the UK economy in its first two years.