ABBA by Calvero

I recently wrote about a fun, new exhibition at ABBA the Museum. And now more news from the museum! I was there yesterday evening for the unveiling of a new mini-exhibition... 15 photographs by legendary Swedish rock'n roll photographer Torbjörn Calvero featuring the members of ABBA. Some which have never been seen by the public before! The pictures are from around 1978-79 and are some great images of the Swedish super-group in their heyday. Not only are the pictures beautiful & fun to look at, they can also be purchased (numbered and signed by the photographer). The images will be on display on the entrance floor of the museum all this summer.

The museum is located on the island of Djurgården and is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel using the Djurgård ferry from nearby Slussen. Tickets to the museum can be pre purchased (time allotments) on their website. If you are staying at the hotel, contact me directly for any help or advice. By the way, have you heard the exciting news? Coming in January 2016: Mamma Mia! The Party! Something to look forward to...
My original blog article about the museum.

ABBA by Calvero

Posted by zlatin

I recently wrote about a fun, new exhibition at ABBA the Museum. And now more news from the museum! I was there yesterday evening for the unveiling of a new mini-exhibition... 15 photographs by legendary Swedish rock'n roll photographer Torbjörn Calvero featuring the members of ABBA. Some which have never been seen by the public before! The pictures are from around 1978-79 and are some great images of the Swedish super-group in their heyday. Not only are the pictures beautiful & fun to look at, they can also be purchased (numbered and signed by the photographer). The images will be on display on the entrance floor of the museum all this summer.

The museum is located on the island of Djurgården and is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel using the Djurgård ferry from nearby Slussen. Tickets to the museum can be pre purchased (time allotments) on their website. If you are staying at the hotel, contact me directly for any help or advice. By the way, have you heard the exciting news? Coming in January 2016: Mamma Mia! The Party! Something to look forward to...
My original blog article about the museum.

Finally... New at ABBA the Museum!

And speaking of new museum exhibitions... I was invited yesterday to the grand unveiling of the new exhibition at ABBA the Museum. This is the biggest addition to the museum since they opened in May 2013. The museum has been a popular attraction in Stockholm and it is great with a new addition. Click here if you want to read my blog article about my original visit to the museum.

The figures arriving by helicopter...

Finally... together again! The new exhibition consists of life-size, silicon figures of the four ABBA members wearing exact replicas of their (Owe Sandström designed) stage costumes from 1979. In fact, the backdrop to the silicon figures is also a replica of part of their set decor from the 1979 North American tour. The idea for these figures has been around since 2011 when plans for the museum were being made. But it wasn't until the fall of 2013 that plans for the figurines started in earnest.

...before being unveiled to the international press.

Göran Lundström of EffektStudion was given the commission and it took him and a team of 35+ persons about a year to create the figures. I must say that they are eerily life-like... very impressive work. Though this is perhaps not surprising given that the four ABBA members actively participated in this project, helping with measurements, creative opinions and more.

So... another good reason to visit ABBA the Museum! Or revisit? The museum is located on the island of Djurgården, near other popular attractions like Vasa Museum, Skansen and Gröna Lund. It is quite easy to get to the museum from the Rival Hotel using the Djurgård Ferry. Entrance tickets for the museum can be purchased in advance (time allotments) on their website. If you are staying at the hotel, talk to me if you need help purchasing the tickets. And don't miss the fun museum gift shop when you are there...

Finally... New at ABBA the Museum!

Posted by zlatin

And speaking of new museum exhibitions... I was invited yesterday to the grand unveiling of the new exhibition at ABBA the Museum. This is the biggest addition to the museum since they opened in May 2013. The museum has been a popular attraction in Stockholm and it is great with a new addition. Click here if you want to read my blog article about my original visit to the museum.

The figures arriving by helicopter...

Finally... together again! The new exhibition consists of life-size, silicon figures of the four ABBA members wearing exact replicas of their (Owe Sandström designed) stage costumes from 1979. In fact, the backdrop to the silicon figures is also a replica of part of their set decor from the 1979 North American tour. The idea for these figures has been around since 2011 when plans for the museum were being made. But it wasn't until the fall of 2013 that plans for the figurines started in earnest.

...before being unveiled to the international press.

Göran Lundström of EffektStudion was given the commission and it took him and a team of 35+ persons about a year to create the figures. I must say that they are eerily life-like... very impressive work. Though this is perhaps not surprising given that the four ABBA members actively participated in this project, helping with measurements, creative opinions and more.

So... another good reason to visit ABBA the Museum! Or revisit? The museum is located on the island of Djurgården, near other popular attractions like Vasa Museum, Skansen and Gröna Lund. It is quite easy to get to the museum from the Rival Hotel using the Djurgård Ferry. Entrance tickets for the museum can be purchased in advance (time allotments) on their website. If you are staying at the hotel, talk to me if you need help purchasing the tickets. And don't miss the fun museum gift shop when you are there...

ABBA... The Boat Tour!

ABBA Boat Tour www.stromma.se 

This summer, ABBA the Museum and the Strömma sightseeing company have joined forces to present a new sightseeing tour in Stockholm: ABBA the Museum Boat Tour. As I have one of the best jobs in Stockholm, I got to try out the tour this morning.

Photographer- Torbjörn Calvero ©premium rockshot

In regards to route, the tour is very similar to Strömma's popular Royal Canal Tour. In other words, it is an enjoyable 50 minute boat tour around the island of Djurgården which is the world's first National City Park and the home of many of the city's main attractions like the Vasa Museum, Skansen and... ABBA the Museum! The content of the tour, however, is different than the Canal Tour. This tour, guided in Swedish and English, concentrates on the history of ABBA and their close relationship with the island of Djurgården. It is Ingmarie Halling, the curator of ABBA the Museum, herself who guides you on the tour. Well, it is Halling's voice you hear in the earphones and the manuscript was written by her (though we were lucky enough to have her present on this special tour today). Along with the audio guide, you have a pamphlet explaining points of interest and including some great pictures. The boat glides by many of the spots used in the group's music videos, photo shoots as well as scenes from ABBA the Movie. Interspersed with the explanations of what you are seeing are snippets of some of ABBA's best songs... of course! This tour is poerfect for the ABBA fan. If you wish for sightseeing with more information about Stockholm, then their Royal Canal and Under the Bridges tours would be more interesting.

Combine the tour with a visit to the museum!

One other big difference between the Royal Canal and ABBA boat tours is that this tour makes a stop at ABBA the Museum towards the end, where you can disembark if you wish. You have the option of purchasing a combination ticket which includes entrance to the museum. The boat tour costs 195 SEK or 390 SEK for the boat-museum combination ticket (half price for children between 6 and 11 and free for kiddies under 6 years of age). Tickets can be purchased through Strömma, either online or at one of their ticket offices, or at ABBA the Museum. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, talk to me directly for help in booking/purchasing tickets. The tour departs three times daily (11am, 12 noon and 1pm) between June 6th and August 24th from Strömkajen, across the water from the Royal Palace.

Beaitiful houses on Djurgården... 

ABBA... The Boat Tour!

Posted by zlatin

ABBA Boat Tour www.stromma.se 

This summer, ABBA the Museum and the Strömma sightseeing company have joined forces to present a new sightseeing tour in Stockholm: ABBA the Museum Boat Tour. As I have one of the best jobs in Stockholm, I got to try out the tour this morning.

Photographer- Torbjörn Calvero ©premium rockshot

In regards to route, the tour is very similar to Strömma's popular Royal Canal Tour. In other words, it is an enjoyable 50 minute boat tour around the island of Djurgården which is the world's first National City Park and the home of many of the city's main attractions like the Vasa Museum, Skansen and... ABBA the Museum! The content of the tour, however, is different than the Canal Tour. This tour, guided in Swedish and English, concentrates on the history of ABBA and their close relationship with the island of Djurgården. It is Ingmarie Halling, the curator of ABBA the Museum, herself who guides you on the tour. Well, it is Halling's voice you hear in the earphones and the manuscript was written by her (though we were lucky enough to have her present on this special tour today). Along with the audio guide, you have a pamphlet explaining points of interest and including some great pictures. The boat glides by many of the spots used in the group's music videos, photo shoots as well as scenes from ABBA the Movie. Interspersed with the explanations of what you are seeing are snippets of some of ABBA's best songs... of course! This tour is poerfect for the ABBA fan. If you wish for sightseeing with more information about Stockholm, then their Royal Canal and Under the Bridges tours would be more interesting.

Combine the tour with a visit to the museum!

One other big difference between the Royal Canal and ABBA boat tours is that this tour makes a stop at ABBA the Museum towards the end, where you can disembark if you wish. You have the option of purchasing a combination ticket which includes entrance to the museum. The boat tour costs 195 SEK or 390 SEK for the boat-museum combination ticket (half price for children between 6 and 11 and free for kiddies under 6 years of age). Tickets can be purchased through Strömma, either online or at one of their ticket offices, or at ABBA the Museum. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, talk to me directly for help in booking/purchasing tickets. The tour departs three times daily (11am, 12 noon and 1pm) between June 6th and August 24th from Strömkajen, across the water from the Royal Palace.

Beaitiful houses on Djurgården... 

ABBA the Museum!

ABBA the Mueum has been in the works for years (rumours, change in venue, touring exhibition, etc;) so the opening on May 7th was greatly anticipated. You might wonder why I waited a couple of weeks to visit and report on such a popular new addition to Stockholm. Well, I wanted to let the opening hysteria die down a bit... plus, I was given a "special" tour by museum curator Ingmarie Halling (a perk of being the concierge at the Rival Hotel) which made the wait worthwhile.

"Walk in, dance out" is the tag line for the new museum, dedicated to the Swedish pop super-group ABBA, and it doesn't disappoint! To be honest, I had some concerns beforehand that the museum would only be of interest to hardcore ABBA fans. But it really is a lot of fun and everyone will be able to enjoy it... whether you are 7 or 77, a fan or just have fond memories of their music. 

Waterloo success at Eurovision

Entrance to the museum is through the gift shop, which is reason enough to visit. ABBA memorbilia like t-shirts, tote bags, posters, pins, magnets, postcards and jewellery fill the shop and it was fun to browse. Be aware that the museum does not accept any cash... just credit or debit cards! The museum itself is located underground, two floors down to be exact. Visitors are first shuttled through a room where they are introduced to the band in the form of an IMAX type theatre and bombarded with images, music and sound bytes. I imagine that this type of entrance is designed to space visitors out... dividing them up into smaller groups. 

If this telephone rings... answer it for a surprise!

Exiting the theatre, visitors move on into a room dedicated to the pre-ABBA careers of the four members. It is a nice window on Swedish music culture of the 1960's when folk and rock bands would tour the country and perform in folkparks. Moving on in the museum are rooms dedicated to the band's formation and early success in Eurovision. Visitors then get to see bits and pieces of the lives of the group members during ABBA's heyday. The museum accomplishes this by recreating rooms which were important to the group... like the recording studio, Björn's summer cottage, Agneta's kitchen, their dressing room when they were on tour and more.

Replica of Björn's summer cottage, where they wrote many of the songs.

Finally... the crown jewel of the museum (for many): the stage clothes! In a circular room, the clothes have been placed in curved cases in concentric circles with the outer walls covered with thousands of album covers from all over the world. The cases are quite narrow which means that you get very close to the clothes and can enjoy the amazing detail work. Even the most blasé visitors will recognize the outfits from their music videos and concert performances... very iconic!

Stage clothes on display.

The museum is very high-tech and interactive. Visitors get the opportunity to record a song, dance in a 70' discotheque, scroll through Björn's father's scrapbook (a treasure trove), be part of an ABBA video, perform on stage with the group (present in the form of holograms) and much more! Very hands-on and fun for the children as well. 

Perform on stage with the hologram ABBAs.

After the band's heyday? The break-up of the band and their marriages follows of course, after which visitors exit through a corridor that gives a nod to the Mamma Mia musical. But that isn't the end of the experience! After leaving the museum, visitors enter the Swedish Music Hall of Fame. Swedish popular music is much, much more than ABBA and visitors get to take an interactive tour through the music catalogue of the past 80+ years... truly remarkable how such a small country (population wise) has left such a large imprint on world music.

Album covers from around the world.

The museum is located on the island of Djurgården and is very easy to get to from the Rival Hotel. There are regular ferries (Djurgårdsfärjan) which travel between Slussen, a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and Djurgården... and the trip takes just 9 minutes. Tickets for the museum cost 195 SEK (90 SEK for children 8 and younger) and can & should be purchased in advance on their website. While this may sound like a lot of money, remember that the museum is a very interactive, high-tech experience and you definitely get your money's worth. As I mentioned before, the museum accepts no cash. If you don't have a credit or debit card, the best option is to purchase the tickets at the central train station ticket counter... which accepts cash.

ABBA the Museum!

Posted by zlatin

ABBA the Mueum has been in the works for years (rumours, change in venue, touring exhibition, etc;) so the opening on May 7th was greatly anticipated. You might wonder why I waited a couple of weeks to visit and report on such a popular new addition to Stockholm. Well, I wanted to let the opening hysteria die down a bit... plus, I was given a "special" tour by museum curator Ingmarie Halling (a perk of being the concierge at the Rival Hotel) which made the wait worthwhile.

"Walk in, dance out" is the tag line for the new museum, dedicated to the Swedish pop super-group ABBA, and it doesn't disappoint! To be honest, I had some concerns beforehand that the museum would only be of interest to hardcore ABBA fans. But it really is a lot of fun and everyone will be able to enjoy it... whether you are 7 or 77, a fan or just have fond memories of their music. 

Waterloo success at Eurovision

Entrance to the museum is through the gift shop, which is reason enough to visit. ABBA memorbilia like t-shirts, tote bags, posters, pins, magnets, postcards and jewellery fill the shop and it was fun to browse. Be aware that the museum does not accept any cash... just credit or debit cards! The museum itself is located underground, two floors down to be exact. Visitors are first shuttled through a room where they are introduced to the band in the form of an IMAX type theatre and bombarded with images, music and sound bytes. I imagine that this type of entrance is designed to space visitors out... dividing them up into smaller groups. 

If this telephone rings... answer it for a surprise!

Exiting the theatre, visitors move on into a room dedicated to the pre-ABBA careers of the four members. It is a nice window on Swedish music culture of the 1960's when folk and rock bands would tour the country and perform in folkparks. Moving on in the museum are rooms dedicated to the band's formation and early success in Eurovision. Visitors then get to see bits and pieces of the lives of the group members during ABBA's heyday. The museum accomplishes this by recreating rooms which were important to the group... like the recording studio, Björn's summer cottage, Agneta's kitchen, their dressing room when they were on tour and more.

Replica of Björn's summer cottage, where they wrote many of the songs.

Finally... the crown jewel of the museum (for many): the stage clothes! In a circular room, the clothes have been placed in curved cases in concentric circles with the outer walls covered with thousands of album covers from all over the world. The cases are quite narrow which means that you get very close to the clothes and can enjoy the amazing detail work. Even the most blasé visitors will recognize the outfits from their music videos and concert performances... very iconic!

Stage clothes on display.

The museum is very high-tech and interactive. Visitors get the opportunity to record a song, dance in a 70' discotheque, scroll through Björn's father's scrapbook (a treasure trove), be part of an ABBA video, perform on stage with the group (present in the form of holograms) and much more! Very hands-on and fun for the children as well. 

Perform on stage with the hologram ABBAs.

After the band's heyday? The break-up of the band and their marriages follows of course, after which visitors exit through a corridor that gives a nod to the Mamma Mia musical. But that isn't the end of the experience! After leaving the museum, visitors enter the Swedish Music Hall of Fame. Swedish popular music is much, much more than ABBA and visitors get to take an interactive tour through the music catalogue of the past 80+ years... truly remarkable how such a small country (population wise) has left such a large imprint on world music.

Album covers from around the world.

The museum is located on the island of Djurgården and is very easy to get to from the Rival Hotel. There are regular ferries (Djurgårdsfärjan) which travel between Slussen, a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and Djurgården... and the trip takes just 9 minutes. Tickets for the museum cost 195 SEK (90 SEK for children 8 and younger) and can & should be purchased in advance on their website. While this may sound like a lot of money, remember that the museum is a very interactive, high-tech experience and you definitely get your money's worth. As I mentioned before, the museum accepts no cash. If you don't have a credit or debit card, the best option is to purchase the tickets at the central train station ticket counter... which accepts cash.

Stockholm News!

These days the news is filled with stories of nuclear tests in North Korea, an abdicating Pope, war, crime and famine. It can get quite depressing, so I thought I would report on some fun news... things to look forward to in Stockholm in the near future!

www.abbathemuseum.com 

New Museums: The big news in Stockholm is the upcoming opening (May 7th) of ABBA The Museum! There has been a lot of buzz about this both in Sweden and through international media. According to reports, the museum will be very interactive with state of the art technology... like a 360 degree movie screen, holograms and more surprises. The museum will be part of a larger museum called the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, dedicated to Swedish contributions to popular music. Tickets for May can already be purchased on their website (linked above) and summer tickets will be released soon. Keep checking on this blog for more updates.
There are plenty of great exhibitions planned at various museums this year, but one that caught my eye (I am a fashion/photography nerd) is the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition "From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" coming to the Architecture Museum this summer (June 15th to September 22nd). Should be fantastic!

Ad for upcoming Gaultier exhibit..

New Restaurants: The Stockholm restaurant scene continues to evolve and grow... two new restaurants have recently opened which have garnered a lot of attention: Taverna Brillo and Nosh & Chow. I will visit them in the coming weeks and report back here! One event that I am really looking forward to is the "reopening" of the restaurant Oaxen Krog. For many years, Oaxen Krog was located in the southern Stockholm archipelago and consistently made the lists of best restaurants in the world. In September, 2011 they closed the restaurant and announced that they would be moving closer to Stockholm. Well, it is now official... in May of this year they will open the doors of their new restaurant on the island of Djurgården (not too far from the new ABBA Museum) in Stockholm. Besides Oaxen Krog, which will be fine-dining, they will also have a more casual sister restaurant called Oaxen Slip (same entrance). Can't wait!

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

Stockholm News!

Posted by zlatin

These days the news is filled with stories of nuclear tests in North Korea, an abdicating Pope, war, crime and famine. It can get quite depressing, so I thought I would report on some fun news... things to look forward to in Stockholm in the near future!

www.abbathemuseum.com 

New Museums: The big news in Stockholm is the upcoming opening (May 7th) of ABBA The Museum! There has been a lot of buzz about this both in Sweden and through international media. According to reports, the museum will be very interactive with state of the art technology... like a 360 degree movie screen, holograms and more surprises. The museum will be part of a larger museum called the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, dedicated to Swedish contributions to popular music. Tickets for May can already be purchased on their website (linked above) and summer tickets will be released soon. Keep checking on this blog for more updates.
There are plenty of great exhibitions planned at various museums this year, but one that caught my eye (I am a fashion/photography nerd) is the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition "From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" coming to the Architecture Museum this summer (June 15th to September 22nd). Should be fantastic!

Ad for upcoming Gaultier exhibit..

New Restaurants: The Stockholm restaurant scene continues to evolve and grow... two new restaurants have recently opened which have garnered a lot of attention: Taverna Brillo and Nosh & Chow. I will visit them in the coming weeks and report back here! One event that I am really looking forward to is the "reopening" of the restaurant Oaxen Krog. For many years, Oaxen Krog was located in the southern Stockholm archipelago and consistently made the lists of best restaurants in the world. In September, 2011 they closed the restaurant and announced that they would be moving closer to Stockholm. Well, it is now official... in May of this year they will open the doors of their new restaurant on the island of Djurgården (not too far from the new ABBA Museum) in Stockholm. Besides Oaxen Krog, which will be fine-dining, they will also have a more casual sister restaurant called Oaxen Slip (same entrance). Can't wait!

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board