ABBA: All four members reunite for special knighthood honour in Sweden

31 May 2024, 17:23

ABBA are back once again!

The four members of Swedish pop group ABBA, who triumphed at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo', received one of Sweden's most prestigious knighthoods at a ceremony on Friday.

Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were awarded the royal Order of Vasa as Commanders of the First Class for their exceptional contributions to Swedish and international music.

This was the first time in 50 years that the Order of the Vasa was handed out.

• ABBA's 20 greatest ever songs, ranked
• How ABBA's two marriages and divorces split the group apart for nearly 40 years

The order, which recognizes personal efforts for Sweden and successful public duties, had been dormant until late 2022 when it was reactivated after regulations opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again.

Earlier this year, candidates were nominated by the public and the Swedish government, with King Carl XVI Gustaf approving the nominees, including the ABBA quartet.

The monarch awarded orders to 13 exceptional Swedes, including two 2023 Nobel Prize winners: French-Swedish physicist Anne L'Huillier, and Svante Pääbo, who won in physics and medicine.

The ceremony took place at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

ABBA's Eurovision victory in 1974 turned them into a pop juggernaut. This year, the band is celebrating 50 years since their Eurovision win, which launched their successful music career.

ABBA's melodic disco pop has sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide. The stage musical Mamma Mia!, based on their songs, is 25 years old and has spawned two movies.

The Swedish band members have not performed together live for four decades but released a comeback album, Voyage, in 2021.

Meanwhile, the ABBA Voyage concert opened in London in 2022, offering an immersive experience with 'Abbatars', or augmented reality versions of the band, performing their greatest hits on stage.