EDITORIAL > ABBA THE MUSEUM
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ABBA The Museum | 1 October 2013
In May 2013 I was one of the first fans to visit the ABBA Museum in Stockholm. Having seen its predecessor ABBAWORLD in January 2010, I wondered if ABBA The Museum would be better. Well, compared to the London version of ABBAWORLD it is superior. By far. Here's why: The location ABBAWORLD was nice, but it was in London. And let's be honest: an ABBA museum can't be anywhere else but in Stockholm. Which makes it so much more interesting. It is only minutes away from iconic places like Skansen, Gröna Lund, Julius Kronbersg Atelje, Circus, Benny's studio / Mono Music, Gamla Stan, the former Polar Music Studio, the former Polar offices, Stikkans grave and lots of other interesting ABBA sites. The ABBA history comes so much more alive in Stockholm. I had never been there, but was completely blown away by the city. The exhibition The layout of the new museum is very clever. I love the different sections that have been created. Personal favourite is the copy of the Polar Music Studio. ABBAWORLD focussed on the eight studio albums and showed some stuff in between (clothes, tour section, etc.). That seemed to work, but the way the exhibition in Stockholm is set up feels better. Don't know why, but it looks like there has been given a bit more thought into the sequence of the various sections. The interactive parts I don't give a hoot about all the intereactive singing and dancing parts, but lots of people do. And it seems that the various routines are met with great enthusiasm. The shop The shop seems to have more items than in London. And it's great that you can visit it without having been inside the museum first. The cashless thing is a bit strange at first, but it works very well. One missed opportunity though: where are the mansized ABBA letters for a brilliant photomoment? The phone and the piano The Ring Ring phone and the piano that is connected to Benny's studio are great ideas. Don't know if they are used frequently, but the idea is fabulous. The story told by A, B, B and F We all know the ABBA story. But somehow it seems different when told by Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida. And that's exactly what happens in ABBA The Museum. I really loved how they spoke about the ABBA days. The way they talk about each other and the way they speak with great affection about their time together is heartwarming. The cloakroom and the hotel In London there was no cloakroom. This sucked. In Stockholm there is a cloakroom. It may not seem important, but it is. And of course the nearby hotel has a lounge where you can get your drinks and take a seat. One small disappointment Not everything is better: I prefered the London way the stage costumes were shown. There was more space and (I believe) more costumes. The verdict ABBA The Museum is a fantastic place for ABBA fans. You can easily enjoy three hours of fabulous nostalgia. Is there a better way to spend your holiday than to combine a visit to The Museum with a visit to other Stockholm ABBA places? No, there is not. Go visit the museum! It's worth it. |
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