ABBA reunite to receive Swedish knighthood in Stockholm
The group are the first Swedish citizens to receive the honour in almost 50 years
ABBA reunited in Stockholm last Friday (31st May) to receive a prestigious Swedish knighthood.
The legendary pop outfit were recognised by King Carl XVI Gustaf for their cultural impact, which saw them elevate Swedish music to the international stage after their Eurovision victory in May 1974.
The band – comprised of members Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Björn Ulvaeus – made a rare public appearance together at Stockholm’s Royal Palace, where they were knighted with the Royal Vasa Order for “distinguished contributions within Swedish and international music life.”
Candidates were nominated by both the general public and the Swedish government, with the final awardees selected by the king himself, who bestowed the knighthoods on ABBA alongside Queen Silvia.
The Associated Press reported that the band members are the first to receive the Royal Order of Vasa in almost 50 years, after the knighthood was discontinued from 1975 up until 2022 for “ordinary Swedish citizens.”
ABBA reached international fame in 1974, when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit single ‘Waterloo’, before going on to release a string of major hits including ‘Mamma Mia’ (1975), ‘Dancing Queen’ (1976) and ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ (1979).
ABBA have not performed live together since 1982, although they have made occasional public appearances together – including the unveiling of their groundbreaking ABBA Voyage show in 2022.
Read the full Associated Press report here.
A new ABBA exhibition opened in Stockholm last year, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the critically acclaimed 2021 album, ‘Voyage’, and the aforementioned ABBA Voyage experience running at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
