ABBA will not perform at Eurovision ahead of 50th anniversary

One half of the members of ABBA have shot down the prospect of the Swedish pop group performing at next year’s Eurovision song contest.

Members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson sat down with BBC’s Newsnight and cleared the air regarding a prospect of the group performing to mark the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win.

The music competition is slated to be hosted on the band’s native country after Swedish singer Loreen bagged the title of this year’s contest.

Following her victory, it was immediately speculated that ABBA could return to the stage for a celebratory performance.

"I don’t want to. And if I don’t want to, the others won’t. It’s the same for all four of us. Someone says no – it’s a no," he said.

Ulvaeus added: "We can celebrate 50 years of Abba without us being on stage."

Following their 1974 Eurovision competition win, ABBA—which is an acronym of the names of the two members as well Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad—became a global sensation. 

The quartet ended up selling millions of records and topping charts across the globe, which includes one in the US in 1977 called Dancing Queen, which was their only number-one stateside single.

Among many hits, it included Super Trouper, Money, Money, Money, and Knowing Me, Knowing You.