Swedish pop legends Abba have made a sensational return, but unfortunately for fans of the 70s idols, it is only in the form of life size silicon dolls.
As the band’s hit track Arrival played out in the background, the silicon figures of Bjorn, Benny, Agneta and Frida were flown by helicopter onto the roof of Stockholm’s Abba: The Museum on Tuesday.
The Abba doubles, which cost in excess of a million Swedish kronor to design, were made with the approval of the real life group members. The museum’s Catarina Falkenhav said it was almost as if fans dreams had actually come true as the clones looked so real it was “uncanny”. She added that they first realised they were onto something big when they saw Bjorn’s test head.
Sculptor Goran Lunstrom said that the process took nine months from start to finish, while the makers also met with the band members during that period. He explained that silicon was more durable than wax, which was why they created the clones in silicon rather than follow in the footsteps of London’s Madame Tussauds museum. He added that the four band members were made in actual size to make them as realistic as possible.
The Swedish icons were inducted into the country’s Music Hall of Fame in 2014, more than three decades since they split.