Abba reunite in Stockholm for restaurant opening

The four former members of Swedish band Abba reunited - albeit very briefly - for the opening of a new restaurant-entertainment venture in Stockholm.

Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad all made it to the opening of Mamma Mia! The Party, for which a restaurant at Grona Lund amusement park has been transformed into a Greek taverna as seen in the Abba-inspired Mamma Mia! musical and film.

The foursome, known for a string of 1970s and 1980s hits such as Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Take A Chance On Me, split in 1982.

They are rarely seen together and have ruled out a reunion.

“We’re here to have a party as everyone else,” Ulvaeus said on arrival at the opening.

“Appearing together? I don’t think so. No. And I expect the others have answered the same thing to that question right? I hope so. Otherwise there will be headlines tomorrow.”

While they arrived separately, the foursome later came together on stage inside the restaurant for a brief period to wave to fans and pose for pictures, according to local media.

“It will be lovely, I’m sure. I think I’ve heard them before,” Faltskog said on arrival, when asked how she felt about hearing Abba music again.

Greek-style party

Ulvaeus is executive producer of the venture, which he said borrowed the mood from Mamma Mia! but not the plot, with guests treated to a Greek-style party full of Abba songs.

“At the end of the show [audiences] are very happy,” Ulvaeus said, referring to the musical.

“They’re standing up in the aisles dancing and the idea was to try to take that with us into a restaurant environment . . . and have a really good party with good food, wine and singing and dancing.”

According to the restaurant's website, the musical Mamma Mia!, which was written by British playwright Catherine Johnson and premiered in 1999, has been seen by more than 60 million people.

Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan starred in a 2008 film based on the musical.

Reuters