Entertainment and Music Lifestyle

Toast the New Year with the Asheville Symphony and the Music of ABBA

Photo courtesy of Direct from Sweden

On Tuesday, December 31, at 8 p.m., the Asheville Symphony presents New Year’s Eve: Music of ABBA with Direct from Sweden at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville. Audiences will be transported back to the 1970s and ‘80s with Direct from Sweden, a tribute band known for its authentic sound, costumes and energy. Asheville Symphony musicians and staff hope the concert helps to welcome in a new year after the challenges these last months of 2024 have brought to Western North Carolina.

Although this will be the first time that Direct from Sweden has appeared alongside the Asheville Symphony, the symphony’s New Year’s Eve performances have been an annual tradition since 2016. “They are uniquely celebratory experiences,” says Asheville Symphony executive director Daniel Crupi, “usually featuring popular music, a laid-back atmosphere and a signature cocktail (or two). They are all about creating joyful memories and celebrating the year to come.”

With performances that feature the still beloved, danceable hits of the Swedish pop group ABBA, Direct from Sweden has wide-ranging appeal. “ABBA’s music is hugely nostalgic for me personally,” Crupi says, “but honestly their catchy hooks and rich harmonies make their music iconic and instantly recognizable no matter your age. Their music speaks across generations, and their timeless hits—like ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Mamma Mia’—bring people together like few other bands can. We expect everyone, from lifelong fans to new listeners, to have a wonderful time.”

Crupi hopes the concert helps audiences to experience a break from the grief, stress and pain the hurricane brought to the area and to so many lives and livelihoods. “An Asheville Symphony concert featuring the music of ABBA is the perfect night out, offering a joyful escape and the chance to celebrate together as a community,” he says. “ABBA’s music also brings a sense of nostalgia, unity and celebration—all of which are so important as we heal and rebuild.”

Tickets are available online at AshevilleSymphony.org or by calling the Asheville Symphony box office at 828.254.7046.

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