Winnipeg music fans can revisit some of ABBA’s biggest hits in a very different setting this fall, as the popular Candlelight concert series brings a tribute to the Swedish pop group to the Crescent Arts Centre.
The Candlelight: Tribute to ABBA concert offers a 60-minute performance of ABBA favourites, with the music performed by a string quartet surrounded by the warm glow of candlelight.
The Winnipeg performance is scheduled at the Crescent Arts Centre, 525 Wardlaw Avenue, giving audiences a chance to hear familiar songs in an intimate setting rather than a traditional concert environment.
The programme includes some of ABBA’s best-known songs, including “Dancing Queen,” “SOS,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Waterloo,” “Fernando,” “Mamma Mia,” “Super Trouper” and “Voulez-Vous.”
Rather than reproducing the original recordings, the Candlelight format reimagines popular music through a classical string arrangement. The performance features two violins, viola and cello, creating a more intimate interpretation of songs that have become staples of pop music.
The concert is part of the broader Candlelight series, which has brought performances covering everything from classical composers and film scores to rock, pop and other contemporary music to Winnipeg venues.
For ABBA fans, the format offers an opportunity to hear the familiar melodies in a completely different way.
Songs such as “Dancing Queen” and “The Winner Takes It All” are instantly recognizable, but the string quartet setting puts the arrangements and melodies at the centre of the experience.
The concert is recommended for audiences aged eight and older, with anyone under 16 required to attend with an adult. The Crescent Arts Centre is accessible for people with reduced mobility. Doors open 45 minutes before the performance, and seating is assigned on a first come, first served basis within each seating zone.
When and where
The current schedule lists performances on September 19, November 13 and January 16, 2027, with the September performance scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Additional dates and times are available through the ticket selector.
Ticket prices vary by seating zone, with the current September listing starting at $26 before booking fees, while higher seating zones are also available. Prices and availability can change, so Winnipeg residents interested in attending should check the event listing before making plans.
For those looking for a date-night idea, a night out with friends or simply a different way to experience some of the most recognizable pop songs of the 1970s, the Candlelight ABBA tribute offers a combination of live music, an intimate venue and an atmospheric setting.
And while there is no shortage of ways to hear ABBA’s music, hearing “Dancing Queen” or “Mamma Mia” performed by a string quartet beneath the glow of hundreds of candles is certainly a different way to say thank you for the music.
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