TRIP REPORT: Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum - Taking the long way to Singapore

Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

Let’s do something a little different for this trip – and indulge in some classic 70s and 80s music as we look at ABBA. Oh and how to get to Stockholm on the cheap too.

In this adventure

Exiting the aircraft, it was time for the walk from the Non Schengen area to the EU Border at Stockholm. And this being Arlanda Terminal 2, there’s a degree of separation and arrival, with a corridor being used for arrivals.

A sneaky KLM CityHopper arriving.

I approached the passport control area – with a thump, my passport was stamped and cleared to continue.

With this done, I could proceed to the exit to the public area.

Luggage Claim

With just my world on my back, I headed for the exit.

However good luck finding one of these in Terminal 5.

Once in the public area, it was time to work on how to get into Central Stockholm.

If there’s one thing that ticks me off about Stockholm Arlanda Airport, it’s the rail link. Now, you might be raising an eyebrow at that. Why would I be annoyed at public transport? It’s done nothing wrong… has it?

This thing.

Well… it has issues. One called the Arlanda Express. Like a few airport rail links, it was built as a public-private partnership, and thus the private part that milks you for cash.

Hard.

I’ve got a strong dislike of the Arlanda Express – as it considers 340SEK (~£30) a “fair price” for a 30-minute journey. I have other thoughts, as it attracts a premium… or ignorant passenger who may think that’s the only way to central Stockholm – when there are more than a few ways.

There are coach options (with Flygbussarna and Flixbus doing active trades on the routes between Arlanda and the city centre). But if you want Rail, you can use the SL rail network. You just need to pay 177 SEK to travel with it (~£12.75).

That’s a saving of 163 SEK. And every crown counts.

The worst part: most of that value is paid as an access fee – the basic fare is 42 SEK for a single journey.

To access the local trains, one has to wander over to SkyCity -the bit between Terminal 4 and 5. That’s wonderful – except a hike is never wanted from Terminal 2. From there, you can purchase a ticket from the counter, or if you can make the thing work – the SL App.

Ho hum. I bought a paper ticket as the app was not cooperating with my virtual payment card.

I missed the train by a matter of minutes – but I was happily sold a receipt that would give me access to the station, as well as a two-hour rail pass.

With that, I hung around at the top of the station to watch planes, then headed downstairs to the platform.

And yes. this is on the public side of the terminal.

Down we go

Train stations by their nature have every right to be as boring as anything. So it was nice to see that the construction of this station was much more … rustic and unfinished on the tunnel walls – giving it character (rather than some bland white stations you see everywhere).

Trains on the commuter line turn up every 30 minutes – so your timing is important.

Eventually, a train turned up and it was a sluggish ride to the city – with some issues on the line as we had more than a few delays en route.

I was happily in my own world – I was only beholden to one time – 21:15 – when I needed to be out of Stockholm’s other airport – Bromna.

Getting off the train at Stockholm Central, I followed the signs to the exit. Although this station exit has no right to be this grand.

Exiting towards T-Centrallen, it was time to work out where to go. Thankfully, the tram line was pretty easy to find – which was tram number 7 that would take me towards the Abba museum (as well as other museums in the area).

Thankfully, the tram stops at Liljevalchs and drops you outside the museum.

ABBA The Museum

Cost: 299 SEK

If you can plan, you can pre-book tickets. If you can’t, you can either buy tickets at the door or use the website to book an e-ticket. There sometimes can be an advantage (with tickets going as low as 239 SEK).

I chose to do it on the phone. It was simpler enough for me. A case of Gimme, Gimme a ticket before midnight.

That day I was there… there were no queues, so I was able to breeze straight in. It would have been the day before you came.

Heading into the museum, you get your ticket scanned, and then you can head down to the temporary exhibition, then the main exhibition on the 2nd level basement.

You can either use the lifts or stairs to get around – so for those who are less able, it makes life a little easier to navigate.

I strongly recommend you head to the temporary exhibition first – least of all, it’s got the story of ABBA Voyager, but more importantly – there are luggage lockers which are available free of charge.

As well as the small room.

Dear museums, That’s how you get people to stow their stuff away and provide it without any pain and reduce big bags everywhere.

Onto the exhibits.

B1 shows some of the outfits, the motion capture and the design for ABBA Voyage – the current musical residence with a live band (but with ABBA-tars/Holograms) in East London (near Stratford). The idea was for a show to be done repeatedly, without the stars there, but with a live band performing.

Voyage also was accompanied by an album that had 10 new songs on it, some of which are on the setlist.

It’s a show that I’ve got to make time to go to (and with a limited run, it might be this year – again, cost and time).

Motion capture by ILM.

Outfits used in ABBA Voyage

And a model of where ABBA Voyage is in East London.

This exhibit shows a few rotating videos, along with an ABBA-tar motion capture suit, and some of the outfits used in the show.

Dropping down to the main exhibition on B2, there’s a massive sign to greet you. From here on, it a very much of an interactive experience, from fast-cut videos….

This then leads you through to pre-ABBA days and how they came together.

To The Dome in Brighton, where ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, bringing them to worldwide attention.

With the outfits and memorabilia on display.

Yep – That guitar

A reminder that if Eurovision was hard then if you’re a winner. These days… welllllllll…. its a lot harder.

As well as that performance of Waterloo on a loop.

From Brighton, you go through the ABBA years, firstly into the studio, writing and outfit process – and there are a lot of interactive elements here.

The master deck

Putting in the frequent flyer miles

Mic up.

Creating the moments in stitch and fabric.

From the studio, there’s a big interactive element where you can become the fifth member of ABBA (and not Stig Anderson). Good if you want to show off… me.. nahhhhh.

From here, you exit to the glory years of the band, with chances to look and interact – for example, if you want to be ABBA’s Arrival Album cover…

There go you. Abba – Arrival

There was also a silent disco, and a theatre playing a concert, as well as the story of ABBA for PopStory, as well – the perfect site and watch, especially if you’d been going all day so far.

I swear I’ve got this concert on video somewhere at home. Or online.

Going through some of the moments, as well as selfie opportunities, from the studio to the albums.

Makeup and Prep.

School bag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning. Waving goodbye, with an absent-minded smile – Slipping through my fingers

Jukebox anyone? Ive got Nina, Pretty Ballerina on play (which I might have ruined my father’s record of it… by playing it at 45RPM… Sorry… )

And then the treasures – the outfits, covers and gold and platinum disks

And yes. Outfits.

They wanted cats.

There are also a few other things, be it the life-sized replicas.

And not so life-sized as the puppets used in The Last Video (first shown at Eurovision 2004).

As we all know in 1982, ABBA parted ways – never formally splitting up, but it was a chance for them to try new things, which you go through an airport departures area.

Including Chess the Musical – you’d know one song from it – “I know him so well“, where you can conduct the orchestra too.

There’s also a segment that covers “After ABBA”, be it the stars and what they did next, the musicals, the pop hits, the post bands and of course – the Mamma Mia phenomenon.

With discs going gold again

With that – the museum comes to an end, where you can go around again, or head upstairs to the gift shop.

Where you can spend your “Money, Money, Money”.

Digging the Dancing Queen.

Overall

If you’re not into ABBA or enjoyed ABBA’s music, why the hell are you here? There are plenty of other museums on this island, and I’d highly recommend them.

If you were/are an ABBA fan, I got a good hour and a half out of this museum without trying. I found it a great interactive exhibition – not just items locked behind glass. I highly recommend it.

If you’re somewhere in between – be it loving the music for Mamma Mia or wanting something that’s a little different – it is a good example of a very interactive exhibit.

I would say that whilst it split over two basement levels, some exhibits did feel a little crammed together – so ensure you book to go at a quieter time (or a time that’s quiet – midday on a Wednesday seemed to be rather good ).

Whilst the tagline of “Walk in, Dance Out” didn’t work on me, let us just say I’ve started going back through the ABBA catalogue again. One that I am thankful to ABBA for the music.

That’s the last of the ABBA puns for this trip report.

Maybe.

Let’s kick this trip into high- gear… and off to a very small airport.

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TRIP REPORT: Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum – Taking the long way to Singapore

Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

ABBA The Museum

Overall

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Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

ABBA The Museum

Overall

Next:

Related

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Into Stockholm and The ABBA Museum
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore