Abba reached a settlement with a tribute band which they described in a lawsuit as “parasitic and in bad faith”.
Abba’s lawyers filed suit in December, arguing that the UK group Abba Mania could be confused with the original act. They said they asked Abba Mania to change their name but the quartet refused.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but one of Abba’s attorneys claimed that tribute artists would stop using Abba’s name. The Guardian has contacted Abba Mania for comment.
Abba Mania formed in 1999 and describes itself as “the most successful touring Abba show in the world”. They are due to tour France in March and the UK in April, and have already toured across Europe and the Americas.
Since Abba split in 1982, the Swedish quartet’s popularity has been driven by the success of the Abba Gold compilation and the musical Mamma Mia!, generating a substantial market for tribute shows including Björn Again.
The lawsuit was filed shortly after news broke that Abba was returning to the stage himself — or, at least, a motion-captured digital version of the band. The Abba Voyage concert experience, featuring avatars of the band performing with a live band in a custom-built arena in east London, begins in May.
Abba released their first album in 40 years in 2021, Voyage, which reached No. 1 in the UK and saw the group nominated for Grammy Awards and Brit Awards.
