ABBAMANIA, the ABBA tribute band whose show has been running since 1999, performed their final listed show in Wales for 2024 in the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran, on Wednesday, 16th October.

The group, consisting of Ewa Scott, Adam Robertson, Steven Galert and Clairemma in the roles of original group members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, were instantly recognisable as the pop superstars in their sequins and lycra.

Richard Smeaton on drums and Lewis Cunningham on bass, with Kirsty McConnell and Mhairi Wilson providing backing vocals, added their presence to the lively evening entertainment.

ABBAMANIA incorporates ever-evolving costumes, colour-changing lighting, and extensive audience participation through games to the show as well as the main musical performances.

Their setlist is made up of a wide range of songs from the nine-times chart topping Swedish band’s discography, such as Eurovision-winning track ‘Waterloo’, ‘Dancing Queen’, and ‘Mamma Mia’.

The audience reception seemed to be overwhelmingly positive, singing along to many of the songs, with almost the entire audience standing up for the biggest hits and applauding enthusiastically after every performance.

Daniella Emerson, an attendee of the night’s show, said in an interview after its conclusion that the tribute band “looked the part, they sounded the part, they even acted the part”, describing them as “very authentic”.

On their website, ABBAMANIA stated that they “wanted to capture the true essence, energy and excitement of what it would have been like to have experienced this truly wonderful band LIVE in concert”.

ABBA disbanded in 1982, however, following their reunion in 2016, they launched their virtual concert residency ABBA Voyage in 2022, held in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, which will run until 2025.

The Congress Theatre in Cwmbran is no stranger to fun-filled evening entertainment as it frequently hosts events, like musical acts, dramas and pantomimes, with upcoming shows featuring ‘The Searchers Experience’ on the 23rd of October, and ‘Twist and Shout, a Tribute to the 60’s’ on the 16th of November - a full list of future events can be found on their website.

For the remainder of 2024, ABBAMANIA have numerous tour dates in England and Scotland, including Swan Theatre in Worcester, and The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh.

Tickets are available on the official ABBAMANIA website.