ABBA ‘set to break 39-year hiatus as they prepare to release new music next Friday’

ABBA is set to break their 39-year hiatus as they will release brand new music next Friday.

The tracks will be the first new music of the Swedish group consisting of Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in nearly four decades.

According to The Sun, the Dancing Queen hitmakers are preparing to launch a show called Abba Voyage which will see their youngest ‘ABBAtars’ beamed on stage to perform their songs.

A source said: “ABBA is finally making a comeback and plans to release their first new music in 39 years next Friday – it’s huge.”

The Abba Voyage will follow the group’s return and the creation of a purpose-built theater in east London for their hologram show, which is slated to open next month.

The insider added, “Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid will all be attending the opening night. And they will finally unveil their Abba-tars, which are like holograms of themselves.

“The show will feature the Abba-tars playing and speaking to the audience. It will be like stepping back in time for those who watch.

ABBA is said to have teamed up with Pop Idol creator Simon Fuller to bring the series to life.

Plans for the return have been in place since 2019, but have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

MailOnline has reached out to ABBA representatives for comment.

It comes after reports surfaced on Tuesday that the group was due to hold a press conference in Stockholm, which sparked speculation that a huge announcement could be considered.

The Swedish quartet announced in 2018 that they were planning to record new tracks for the first time in 35 years, and it was confirmed last year that they had more songs than originally planned.

Despite the news, ABBA has had to delay releases, which include I Still Have Faith In You and Don’t Shut Me Down, as well as their ABBAtar hologram tour.

Band member Bjorn Ulvaeus – who is joined by Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Frida Lyndstad in the chart-topping group – told reporter Geoff Lloyd as such.

Speaking in an episode of his Reasons To Be Cheerful podcast, the radio presenter explained, “I have to spend an hour with ABBA’s Bjorn Ulveaus via Zoom. They’ve recorded five new songs.

“They should have come out at the end of last year. They’re going to release these holograms on tour.

“Because of the technical difficulties and the pandemic, it delayed things. But he promised me that ABBA’s new music will be released in 2021. ‘

In a statement announcing the new songs, ABBA said at the time: “The decision to continue ABBA’s exciting avatar tour project had an unintended consequence.

“The four of us felt that after about 35 years it might be fun to come together again and get into the recording studio.”

Bjorn later explained that plans were delayed until at least 2020 due to the complex technical nature of the show they are creating.

The Waterloo band broke up in 1982 at the height of their careers, and in their later years Bjorn divorced his bandmate Agnetha while Benny and Frida also went their separate ways.

They first performed together in decades in 2016 at a private event, which marked the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between songwriters Bjorn and Benny.