The venue of the groundbreaking digital avatars has had a makeover in time for Christmas
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The concourse is filled with deep greenery and crystals to give fans a new way to experience the concert
ABBA Voyage has unveiled a new festive makeover – transforming the ABBA Arena into a magical winter garden.
The new setting, which runs until February 2026, sees the concourse filled with deep greenery, crystals and shifting light installations designed to give fans a new way to experience the concert that’s become a global phenomenon.
Adding to the magic is a brand-new heated outdoor Winter Bar – a cosy, welcoming hideaway to relax with table service and views of the iconic ABBA sign. To fuel the festivities, guests can indulge in a seasonal winter menu, featuring a festive hot dog, indulgent winter cocktails, hot chocolate, winter fruit crumble, and more.
Exclusive winter merchandise from baubles and tree decorations to festive jumpers and hats will also be available for the perfect ABBA-inspired stocking fillers.
As part of Queen Elizabeth Park Olympic Park’s ‘Winter Adventure’, the countdown to Christmas comes alive with a nightly celebration as a new venue opens its doors each evening at 6pm.
On December 5, ABBA Voyage had welcomed East London–based Swedish choir Norrsång , who performed Christmas classics and Swedish seasonal favourites set against the magical backdrop of the ABBA Arena.
ABBA Voyage opened in May 2022 and uses groundbreaking digital avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida, backed by a 10-piece live band. Earlier this year, the show marked its third anniversary by adding ‘The Name of the Game’, ‘Super Trouper’, ‘Money, Money, Money’ and ‘Take a Chance on Me’ to the setlist. The avatars have been dubbed Abba-tars by fans.
ABBA are the most successful Swedish act of all time on the UK Official Charts too. Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid have nine number ones and 20 songs in the top 10. They also have ten number one albums.
In 2024 Radio 2 listeners crowned Dancing Queen their favourite ABBA song, taking the Number one spot in Your Ultimate ABBA Song, with tens of thousands of votes cast by music fans.
The vote – which commemorated 50 years since they won the Eurovision Song Contest on April 6, 1974 in Brighton with Waterloo – was launched by DJ Gary Davies on April 5 and closed on April 18.
Listeners could select up to five of their favourite tracks from a list of 45 titles from the band – made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
In number two spot is The Winner Takes It All, number three is Thank You For The Music, number four is Slipping Through My Fingers and completing the top five is The Day Before You Came.
For more information please visit: https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/whats-on/abba-voyage-winter-adventure
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Stacey Solomon fans say her new hair colour has ‘given her a new glow’
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Stacey Solomon was much blonder last week (pictured before her transformation)(Image: REHAB)
Stacey Solomon has debuted a brand new hair colour, and it’s causing quite the stir. The mum-of-five swapped her signature bright blonde for a deeper, richer shade experts are calling ‘chocolate blonde’, and the colour shift has genuinely given her a whole new look.
Stacey unveiled the transformation on Instagram after a rare few hours to herself at the salon, and fans immediately flooded the comments with praise. One wrote: “I love it, it’s given you a new glow,” while another added: “That colour is stunning.” A third follower summed up the general consensus perfectly: “Oh I see the change- it’s darker and I really love it, it really suits you.”
The transformation isn’t drastic, but it instantly lifts the complexion and adds warmth at a time of year when most of us are feeling a bit washed out. Stacey even joked on an Instagram story about the subtle-but-noticeable shift, saying husband Joe Swash didn’t even spot the change. A follower shared this sentiment, writing: “Men eh? I went out blonde and came back a redhead and my husband didn’t notice even when the kids gave him clues. Yours looks lovely.” Relatable doesn’t even begin to cover it.
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So what makes Stacey’s new shade work so well? According to Siobhan Haug, colour specialist and co-founder of Haug London Haus, the richness comes from how the tones have been blended. “Stacey’s colour has a warm sheen, not too ashy. It’s a chocolate blonde,” she explains. “Mahogany, gold and violet tones combined give that warmth without a copper tinge.” In other words, it’s a multi-dimensional approach that avoids the flatness that winter blondes can sometimes fall into.
Siobhan adds that the colourist has leaned into Stacey’s natural warmth rather than tried to cool everything down. “It’s nice to lean into the warmth and not fight it because that’s what’s given the rich base colour– it’s not flat.”
The result is glossy, lifted and incredibly flattering, especially for the winter months when softer, deeper blondes tend to look more natural against paler skin tones. Chocolate blonde is also lower-maintenance than brighter balayage or icy highlights, which might explain why so many people are bookmarking Stacey’s new look as inspo for their next appointment.
Despite rumours that he is the next James Bond and years of Hollywood success, Idris Elba has revealed surprise plans for retirement from acting to focus on another career
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Idris Elba announces plan to retire and focus on another career
Idris Elba has shared plans to retire from acting. Despite being one of the highest grossing actors and rumours he will be the next James Bond, the 53-year-old has expressed a desire to pivot to another career. In a Q&A at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on 10 December, Idris shared that he wanted to hang up his acting hat and hoped his fans wouldn’t be “mad” at him.
“I’m hoping that my fan base as an actor isn’t made at me,” he said whilst promoting his new short film Dust To Dreams. “But eventually, I want to transfer to be a director fully. I’ve been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it.”
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Idris directed his first feature film, Yardie, in 2018. He’d previously done a TV short, Rebellious Soul: The Musical, making Dust To Dreams his second short and third directorial film. He also has three films that have not been released yet, including one called Above The Below, which he also stars in.
The Thor actor is one of the top 20 highest grossing actors, as his films, including several Marvel projects and a biopic about Nelson Mandela, have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office.
In recent years, Idris has also been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. He even suggested he would say yes to the role if it was offered to him, even if it’s not something he’s actively pursuing.
Talking to Vanity Fair in 2019, he said: “James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character, that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey. Of course, if someone said to me ‘Do you want to play James Bond?,’ I’d be like, Yeah! That’s fascinating to me. But it’s not something I’ve expressed, like, yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond.”
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In the same article, he said he was “disheartened” by the backlash to Bond rumours. He shared that he found it troubling that some people thought he couldn’t do the role, which has so far been played by white men, purely because of his race. Idris added that the backlash meant taking on the role would be a “difficult position to put myself into”.
Brooklyn Beckham has been involved in a public feud with the Beckham family but it looks like dad David is keen to make up with his eldest son
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The Beckhams have been involved in a family feud(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
David Beckham has sent an emotional message to his son Brooklyn amid their ongoing family feud. It’s thought that the former footballer’s latest post could be an olive branch. The public feud has been going on for months now, with the majority of family members sharing social media posts connected to the row. However, the latest post could be an attempt to make up before Christmas.
David took to his Instagram stories where he shared a photo of himself alongside wife Victoria, 51, and children Romeo 23, Cruz, 20 and Harper, 14, celebrating his MLS title in Miami. But he also posted a throwback snap of himself with Brooklyn, 25 after winning the same cup as a player with LA Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.
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He captioned the snaps with: “License to cry.” Some have thought that the latest post could be an olive branch to Brooklyn before the festive season comes to an end.
Last week, Brooklyn’s youngest brother shared his own post that looked like he was also trying to end the feud. Crus posted an old photo to Instagram of himself with Brooklyn, his other brother Romeo and his dad David.
Next to the sweet snap, he wrote: “Love you guys.” This is the first time Cruz has shared a photo with his brother since the feud first arose.
The week before, Cruz took to his social media again where he shared a message hinting that he wants to put the family rift behind him. Alongside a selfie, Cruz wrote: “Life is too short to be silence, at least talk it out,” with a crying face emoji. Some thought that the message could have been a plea to Brooklyn to reach out to him to sort things out.
Mum Victoria is also said to be desperate for the family to all make up as soon as possible. The fashionista posted on her Instagram stories to post a video from her mum’s Jackie’s home, where all the grandchildren’s Christmas stockings are up on the mantlepiece.
Brooklyn has his name embroidered name on his very own stocking. Speaking to the camera as she panned over the decorations, Victoria said: “So I’m here at my mum and dad’s house and look how cute.
“They’ve got all of the grandchildren’s stockings up ready for Christmas.” The exact reason for the family fall out has never been revealed.
Brooklyn has kept his distance from him family members as he has missed several milestones since they have stopped talking.
Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz didn’t attend David’s 50th birthday earlier this year. They also missed the premiere of mum Victoria’s Netflix documentary and also her big Paris fashion show.
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One of the big events Brooklyn missed but David’s knighthood celebrations. He also didn’t share a message congratulating his dad on his big achievement when the honours list was announced.
Ann Cleeves, who has created the books behind the hit TV series Vera and Shetland, has joined Queen Camilla for a brand new project aiming to find the country’s top reading champions
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Queen Camilla(Image: Getty Images)
Queen Camilla is breaking down snobbery in reading – and in turn it’s helping those struggling with their mental health, according to the best-selling author behind the Vera and Shetland books.
Ann Cleeves, whose novels have been turned into two hit drama series that have captivated viewers on ITV and the BBC, has hailed the Queen for her love of books and championing reading as a way of escaping everyday life. The novelist, who is working on her latest book in her crime detective series Vera, which saw Brenda Blethyn play the character in the long-running ITV drama, has long advocated the emotional benefits of reading for pleasure.
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It echoes the work of Camilla, who is known for her love of reading, and set up her Queen’s Reading Room initiative, which initially started with her recommending some of her favourite books and authors.
Ann has met Camilla, most recently at Clarence House earlier this year – and now she has been invited to join the judging panel on a new project – the Queen’s Reading Room Medal.
And speaking to the Mirror, the celebrated author says it’s wonderful Camilla is “doing away with” a certain type of ‘sniffiness’ when it comes to reading and enjoying books.
She explained: “Her Majesty obviously loves books – and what I admire the most is that she doesn’t necessarily pick classics or literary fiction. She’s just as happy to read a good murder or read something that the rest of us would read as an escape.
“In the past, there has been a bit of snobbishness around reading, and I think it’s brilliant that the medal and everything Her Majesty has said has been around ‘if you’re having a good time with a book, it’s a good book’.
“Popular genre authors that literary reviewers may have been a bit sniffy about, she has been doing away with that kind of snobbery, which is wonderful.”
Camilla announced the launch of the Queen’s Reading Room Medal earlier this year, which will be a national honour awarded annually to people who support storytelling in their local communities.
It is a spin off from the Queen’s Reading Room, a charity she founded following the success of her Instagram book club during the pandemic. It has since grown into a global hub for reading advocacy, with a podcast, research initiatives, and an annual literary festival drawing tens of thousands of visitors.
Nominations for the Queen’s Reading Room Medal are open until the end of the month and include people who have set up community reading groups, improved access to local libraries, donated books to those in need, or organised local literary festivals.
Ann is on the judging panel along with other leading publishing and literary figures – with Camilla understood to be delighted to have the best-selling author among those taking part in the project.
The author explained: “It is an honour to be asked to do something by Her Majesty and also I saw it as a way of getting the word out there and celebrating those people and volunteers, who go in and maybe read to stroke victims in hospitals or people set up reading groups for teenagers in their local libraries.
“It doesn’t matter. It is not about reading being some kind of chore or feeling we have to do, it is just sharing that immense pleasure in losing yourself in a story.”
Ann combines her busy writing schedule with helping to run the north-east-based Reading for Wellbeing organisation, which promotes reading as a way of supporting mental wellbeing, which caught the eye of Camilla and the Queen’s Reading Room chairity.
The author set up the organisation after experiencing for herself how getting lost in a book can help in times of struggle.
The organisation works with local GPs, who can refer patients who may be struggling to join one of their reading groups, where participants read for pleasure before joining together to discuss what they’ve read.
She explained: “Reading has seen me through some tough times. I had cancer when I was in my 30s and then my husband had bipolar disorder and until he was properly diagnosed that was quite tricky, balancing that with two kids.
“But what really got me through those tricky times was reading. And I thought, let’s see if this works. If it works for me, it might work for other people. Reading for Wellbeing then started.
“Reading is not about literacy even – it’s about losing yourself in a story and people can do that if they are listening to audio books or if they’re reading graphic novels – and something I often say is if you’ve got lots of depressed and angry thoughts rattling around in your head, it is really lovely to get inside someone else’s head for a bit. And when you’re reading, you can see the world through other people’s eyes.
“At one talk I did, one woman part of our group talked about how she had been going through a bad time in her life because her husband had died and her mum had died and she said in the past, I would have gone along to my GP and asked for some anti-depressants, but now I’ve got the group I don’t need to. I go along, I read a book and I chat to my friends.”
Vicki Perrin, the CEO of the Queen’s Reading Room, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ann Cleeves as a judge for The Queen’s Reading Room Medal. Her extraordinary storytelling has captivated readers worldwide, and as founder of Reading for Wellbeing, she understands the profound ways reading can transform and enrich lives.
“Her insight will be invaluable as we celebrate the wonderful volunteers who go above and beyond to champion books and reading in their communities.
“We are thrilled to have Ann join our distinguished panel of judges as they honour those making such a difference through the joy of reading.”
Visit thequeensreadingroom.co.uk/the-queens-reading-room-medal for nominations, which are open until December 31.
Looking for a makeup artist-approved foundation that ‘does not budge all day’ and won’t break the bank? This cult-favourite makeup marvel is currently up for grabs for a whopping 25% off
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Cult-favourite foundation that ‘stays put all day’ gets price axed by 25%(Image: Getty)
Whether you’re a die-hard devotee of this iconic foundation by beauty powerhouse Estee Lauder, or you’ve been itching to give it a whirl without splashing out the full price, you won’t want to miss this limited-time offer.
The much-loved Double Wear foundation by Estee Lauder, a best-seller for several years and boasting an impressive 4.8-star rating on Lookfantastic’s website, comes in a whopping array of over 60 shades.
This makeup marvel, which typically retails at a substantial £39.50, provides medium to full coverage. Its formula is infused with SPF 10 to shield your skin from harmful UV rays. Even better, thanks to a cracking deal from Lookfantastic, it’s now dipped below £30.
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The Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation is currently up for grabs for £28.85 at All Beauty, £29.63 on Estee Lauder’s own site, and Lookfantastic.
According to Estee Lauder, this Double Wear foundation keeps oil at bay all day, leaving you with a shine-free complexion. It even claims to be sweat, humidity, and transfer resistant, making it a must-have in your makeup bag.
Boasting up to 24 hours of longevity, this lightweight foundation promises to stay true to colour whilst delivering an airbrush finish, creating effortless, natural radiance that’s ideal for both everyday wear and glamorous evening looks.
Enhanced with SPF10 defence, this versatile formula works to soften imperfections and even out skin tone, whilst helping to visibly reduce unwanted shine for enduring, freshly-applied results without any greasy residue.
This foundation has earned bestseller status for good reason, accumulating thousands of rave reviews from delighted customers.
One buyer beams: “As an MUA this is a staple in my kit! It does not budge all day!”
Further praise comes from this shopper who says: “First time using this and I’m blown away. Why did it take me so long to try? My old foundation didn’t last all day, so read other reviews on this one, and it’s a winner! The coverage is 10/10, longevity is awesome, the finish is smooth, and my texture has improved while wearing it.”
Another happy customer enthuses: “This is the foundation I wear daily, for work, events, errands, etc, it stays put all day, even without powder on top. Will always repurchase, the best!”
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Though one shopper does knock one star off, saying: “Have used double wear for years. It’s always been my go to having an oily complexion. I recently introduced primer to my routine and have had to experiment a little to get it right as it can make the foundation cake and show any dry/textured areas if not done right.”
