ABBA stars say ‘no way’ to Eurovision

LONDON

Two members of ABBA have insisted in an interview yesterday that the Swedish pop icons won’t perform at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in their homeland.

Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, one half of ABBA, downplayed the prospect despite Sweden hosting Eurovision on the 50th anniversary of the band’s win - the country’s first - with their breakthrough hit “Waterloo.”

The Nordic nation is set to stage the world’s biggest live music event for the seventh time after Swedish singer Loreen won this year’s contest, hosted by Britain on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.

Her victory at the eccentric, much-loved competition in Liverpool this month prompted immediate speculation that ABBA could take to the stage next year.

However, in an interview with the BBC’s Newsnight program, Andersson said there is “no way” the group will make a celebratory performance or even appearance.

“I don’t want to. And if I don’t want to, the others won’t. It’s the same for all four of us. Someone says no - it’s a no,” he explained.

Ulvaeus added: “We can celebrate 50 years of ABBA without us being on stage.”

ABBA, which also comprised Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and is an acronym of their first names,- shot to international fame after their 1974 Eurovision success.

In 2021 they released their first new album in nearly 40 years. They also launched a new concert format featuring de-aged digital avatars - dubbed “ABBAtars” - in London who perform their hits and resemble their 1979 selves.