With her sequins, flared pants and dizzying platform boots, Abba was the epitome of ’70s cool.
But fans wanting to get into the zeitgeist have been banned from wearing so-called disco wigs as they are “culturally insensitive”, The Mail on Sunday reported.
Audience members attending Abba Voyage shows, which feature holograms performing the band’s greatest hits, have been told not to wear afro-style hairpieces because they are “not appropriate”.
In an email to ticket holders, the promoters say: ‘Many of our guests will want to get into the spirit of the show by dressing up for their visit. [But] please do not wear so-called “afro” wigs.
“These wigs are culturally insensitive and are not appropriate for use as costumes. If any guests wear this style of wig, they will be respectfully asked to remove it as a condition of entering the arena.”
With his sequins, flared pants and dizzying platform boots, Abba was the epitome of ’70s cool. But fans wanting to get into the zeitgeist have been barred from wearing so-called disco wigs, as they are “culturally callous”.
Audience members attending Abba Voyage shows, which feature holograms performing the band’s greatest hits, have been told not to wear the afro-style hairpieces because they are “not appropriate”.
Some fans have tweeted in support of the ban, writing: “Love that Abba Voyage said white people better not come in afro wigs.”
But the owner of the Mad Hatters costume shop, which has rented out 1970s-themed outfits for fans who attended the show, said it was a shame.
Jennifer Barlow, 46, said: “When I went on Abba Voyage recently, I saw a lot of people in costume. Nobody wants to upset anyone or be offensive. But when people dress up, it’s as a tribute to the band and the era. from the 70s. It’s a shame that we are now so afraid of offending people that we are taking life too seriously.
The wig ban has been buried in the “FAQ” section of the show’s website since it launched at the former Olympics site in Stratford, East London, in May 2022. But the information is now being sent by email to ticket holders, under the subject heading ‘Some Important Information’.
Abba Voyage features virtual versions of Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid (‘Frida’) Lyngstad as they were in their 1979 heyday.
ABBA formed in 1972, consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who released eight albums between 1973 and 1981.
Over 90 minutes, the so-called ‘Abbatars’, backed by a live band, perform 22 of the Swedish supergroup’s hits, including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Waterloo, their debut song that won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, setting them on the path to stardom.
They had eight consecutive No 1 albums and sold 385 million records worldwide.
The Voyage show will take place in London until January 2024. Then the producers plan to tour the show around the world.
The producers of Abba Voyage declined to comment on the wig ban. Some commentators have said that white people who wear afro wigs are teasing a hairstyle that has deep cultural significance to the black community.
Cultural appropriation? No, it’s cultural appreciation, writes CALVIN ROBINSON
By Calvin Robinson
My afro is not a cultural statement. Being half white English and half Afro-Caribbean, I have naturally thick and curly hair.
If someone wanted to wear a wig imitating my hairstyle, I certainly wouldn’t see it as cultural appropriation. In any case, surely, it would be cultural appreciation.
But to the organizers of Abba Voyage, a show that encourages the public to come in costume but has also specifically banned afro wigs, I’d like to ask: what culture do you think my hair belongs to? I am british. Are they denying my British heritage and my British culture?
My afro is not a cultural statement. Being half white English and half Afro-Caribbean, I have naturally thick and curly hair, writes Calvin Robinson (pictured)
It seems like a lazy stereotype that they are doing to protect a demographic of people who don’t need protection. It’s quite condescending and completely unnecessary. Allowing only certain hairstyles is also not very diverse. It’s also not very inclusive, discriminating against big, bushy hair.
And it certainly isn’t about equality if all ethnic hairstyles are the same, but some are more equal than others.
This policy therefore fails the Diversity, Inclusion and Equality checklist that I assume the organizers were trying to adhere to.
The policy is ridiculous. It’s time to move beyond those silly ideas and get back to letting people be people again.
I hope the Abba Voyage audience rebels against the ban, and we end up seeing hundreds of afros amongst the stag/hen parties dressed as Agnetha and Frida.