Swedish pop group ABBA became an international sensation when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. Ever since, artists have tried to replicate the band’s legendary sound.
Those kicking off 2026 in Penrith will get as close to that sound as possible with a special New Year’s performance by ‘Abbalanche – The Australian ABBA Tribute Show’.
“It’s a two-hour show that starts at 7.30pm and kids are welcome to come,” explained Abbalanche Manager and Director Lesley Watters.
“You will hear all the songs you expect to hear, plus some that you may not remember and will jog your memory. The show is choreographed, there is audience interaction, and there is tongue-in-cheek humour.
“We have a six-piece band, and the music is all live. The audience gets the true live ABBA sound with lots of energy and lots of fun.”
Watters played Frida in Abbalanche for 25 years.
“She’s the cheeky one,” Watters described.
“She’s a trained opera singer, so I love what she does with her voice, with the harmonies and the tone. She seems to have more fun.
“Agnetha is also beautiful – she’s the angelic one.”
ABBA’s music has been described as timeless.
“We’ve been doing this show for 30 years and we keep getting new fans – they keep being born! Two-year-old’s love it and 92-year-old’s love it,” Watters stated.
“The music is so catchy, and we also enjoy it because it’s quite complex. Trying to achieve the same sound as ABBA is a good challenge for us and we rehearse really hard to get it right.”
And it’s not just the music that the group nail – it’s the cast connection.
“Bjorn is played by my husband who has been doing the show for 30 years; most of the guys in the show have been doing it for at least 20 years except the two girls,” Watters explained.
“The two girls have been with us for five years, and they’re stunning and they sing beautifully. The energy with the choreography and the way they get on, it’s like they really are ABBA.”
For those who aren’t big fans of ABBA, it’s worth taking a chance on the show.
“Most people come because they love ABBA, but a lot of people also come because they just want a fun night,” Watters said.
“You’ve got your ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Mamma Mia’, and ‘Waterloo’. Lately, ‘Gimme! Gimme!’ and ‘Lay Your Love on Me’ have been really popular too, especially with younger people.
“Everyone who comes along needs to bring their dancing shoes because they won’t be sitting for long.”
Purchase a ticket to the Abbalanche New Year’s Eve party at Panthers Penrith online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au/event/abbalanche-nye-party.
