Summers in Europe are becoming increasingly hot due to climate change with several southern popular tourist destinations being hit by heat waves and forest fires. Coolcations in northern destinations are becoming increasingly popular. Maybe an idea for the planning of your next gay vacation? I went to Stockholm to refresh. I was mainly curious about what the Sweden’s capital has to offer to LGBTQIA+ tourists. The Scandinavian country has a gay-friendly reputation, taking a top 10 place in the 2026 Rainbow Map of ILGA Europe alongside the other Scandinavian countries. But is Stockholm really hot as gay destination? It was time to take the temperature in person!
Swedish music group ABBA hardly needs an introduction anymore. After they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with their song ‘Waterloo’ they have scored several international hits. The group was only active between 1972 and 1982 (with a musical comeback in 2016) but in that time they became music legends.
They even have their own museum in Stockholm. Most artists only get a museum after their death, whilst all the ABBA members are still alive. So I was intrigued to find out how the museum portrays their musical career(s).
The very beginning
ABBA The Museum portrays the musical lives of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad. It starts with their upbringing and the musical influences that were passed on within their families.
Subsequently the museum shows how the four members of ABBA started working together artistically in the early 1970’s.
Eurovision Song Contest
In 1973 they had a first try at Melodifestivalen to win that contest in order to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song ‘Ring Ring’ only ended up third but the song did become a hit in many parts of Europe.
The real breakthrough came in 1974 when they did manage to win Melodifestivalen. With their glam rock song ‘Waterloo’ they won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 in Brighton. It was the first ever Swedish victory at the song competition, paving the way for many others.
In ABBA The Museum you can admire the original costumes the band wore at the Eurovision Song Contest. The collection also shows the medal the group received.
Museum collection
In the following museum rooms the success of the group is shown. There is a map with the international tours they did, concert and tour merchandise, costumes, music, original music scores and a special room with all the platinum and gold records the group earned.
The museum is very interactive. There is a room where you can become ‘the fifth member’ and you can dance alongside projections of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida. When I was there a beautiful Asian dancing queen was enjoying the room with his boyfriend filming his every move. It’s was a cute sight. At the museum you can take the ABBA quiz or do a karaoke. And of course you can also book a guided tour.
What came after
An exhibition area I really liked in the museum was about the individual artistic paths the group members have followed after ABBA split up in 1982. I mainly enjoyed this area at the end of the exhibition because it was unknown territory for me and I also think this is an overlooked aspect in the existing ABBA exhibits and documentaries.
As a casual music lover we sometimes forget that artists and groups are more than their greatest hits. Their entire oeuvre and all their performances throughout their life define them as an artist. Besides the hits there are often gems to be found in their oeuvre.
Voyage
Needless to say that ABBA The Museum also pays attention to the reunion of 2016, resulting in ABBA’s ninth and final album ‘Voyage’ in 2021. Thereafter ABBA Voyage became a virtual concert residency in London.
Virtual avatars depicting the group as they appeared in 1979 and the use of original recordings alongside a 10 piece live instrumental band on stage created a series of concerts that went on for five years. A purpose-built venue was constructed in Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park in London for these concerts. This musical salute shows how popular ABBA remains to date and how rare it is for a group that hasn’t been active for several decades to make a much talked about comeback.
ABBA is however history and so having a museum – even if the group members are still alive – makes perfect sense. Be aware that the museum is very popular! Booking your visit in advance is necessary to make sure you can actually enter the museum.
Gay fans
Because of their camp costumes and disco songs ABBA has always been popular amongst gay men. But their members members aren’t gay.
ABBA’s win at the Eurovision Song Contest paved the way for other Swedish artists and groups to win the music competition. The country went on winning six more times with ‘Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley’ by Herreys (1984), ‘Fångad av en stormvind’ by Carola (1991), ‘Take Me to Your Heaven’ by Charlotte Nilsson (1999), ‘Euphoria’ by Loreen (2012), ‘Heroes’ by Måns Zelmerlöw (2015), and ‘Tattoo’ by Loreen (2023).
Whilst the ABBA members aren’t gay or bisexual, Sweden did have several LGBT artists performing in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. And also a winner, as it turned out when Loreen came out as bisexual in 2017.
Swedish LGBT artists
Sweden has quite some LGBT artists that are worth exploring.
Very popular in the gay scene are the post-dance group Alcazar and the kitsch and camp dance-pop group Army of Lovers. But you will find Swedish LGBT artists in a wide variety of genres. Think about lead singer Maja Ivarsson of the indie rock band The Sounds, Ola Salo of the glam rock band The Ark, rapper Silvana Imam, electronic music singer-songwriter Karin Dreijer, opera singer Rickard Söderberg and hip hop artist Clara Christensen.
Global influence
ABBA The Museum is a must-do during a first visit to Stockholm but for tourists who have a wide interest in music it is only a starting point.
When you think about it, Sweden is major music player on the world stage. Although there are only about 10 million people living in Sweden, the country has delivered a long list of international successful artists and bands.
ABBA, Ace of Base, Avicii, Roxette, The Cardigans, Europe, Robyn, Zara Larsson, Dr. Alban, Rednex, Swedish House Mafia, Icona Pop, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Lykke Li, Loreen, In Flames … The fame of Swedish artists often reaches far beyond the borders of their home country.
And then I am not even talking about the many Swedish music producers and song writers who have delivered hits to artists worldwide. Or what to think about the influence of the Swedish streaming platform Spotify on music this day and age? You get my point: when it comes to music Sweden is a country that punches well above its weight.
Music capital
I advise music lovers to also visit the other venues in Stockholm. There is the Avicii Experience, a tribute museum honoring the artist who died at a young age in 2018. In the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts you can explore theatre, dance, and music in the wider sense. When preparing your journey you can also check what musical events are taking place in the Strawberry Arena, the Avicii Arena and the Tele2 Arena. After all … without a song or a dance what are we?