Arts & Entertainment
ABBA will release new music for first time in decades
the four-piece Swedish outfit will embark on an avatar tour
ABBA (Photo via Instagram)
ABBA has announced they will release two new songs as part of an avatar project marking the first time the group has released new music since their split in 1983.
The Swedish group, which consisted of members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngsta, made the announcement to fans on Instagram.
“The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence,” the statement reads. “We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did.”
“We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good,” they added.
Their comeback will feature avatars of the band members performing in a tribute concert scheduled to be televised in the fall.
“It’s a kind of ABBA tribute show, but the centerpiece … will be something I call ‘Abbatars’. It is digital versions of ABBA, from 1979,” Ulvaeus told AFP. “It’s the first time it’s ever been done.”
Ulvaeus continued that the avatars will be recreated to look like younger versions of themselves from 1979 through video technology and lipsyncing.
The avatars are expected to embark on a world tour following the tribute show.
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
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