Sweden's King and Queen attend ABBA Voyage concert in London© Getty Images

Sweden’s King and Queen attend ABBA Voyage concert in London

ABBA performed on the eve of the King and Queen’s royal wedding in 1976


MAY 27, 2022 1:09 PM EDT

Dancing Queen...and King! Real-life royalty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were in the audience on the opening night of “ABBA Voyage” at the ABBA Arena in London.

The King and Queen of Sweden attended the first performance of "ABBA Voyage" on May 26© Getty Images
The King and Queen of Sweden attended the first performance of “ABBA Voyage” on May 26

The Swedish monarchs posed together for photos on the red carpet. The Queen, 78, opted for a colorful suit for the occasion. The four members of the Swedish pop group, Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, were also in attendance on May 26, marking ABBA’s first public appearance since 2016, per  Billboard .

Back in 1976, the musicians performed their song “Dancing Queen” on the eve of King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia’s royal wedding at a televised gala held at Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera. According to  Royal Central , the performance was a tribute to Silvia, but the song had not been specifically written for her.

© Getty Images
ABBA appeared on the opening night of the digital show in London

“ABBA Voyage”—which is described as “the greatest ABBA performance the world has never seen. Until now”—features digital versions of the group. “ Using motion capture technology, Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid spent weeks digitising their performances to create the avatars ” seen on stage.