NOT DEAD YET
And we don't look a DAY OLDER!
They can move the show but this arena was built for it - you can't just move it into the Brighton Dome or the Sydney Opera House is what I meant
Yes, I see no reason why it couldn't run in all those places simultaneously, but not launching at the same time or close to it.
And yet: The elephant in the room at Pudding Mill Lane is the Abba Arena which has been far more successful than ever imagined. When it opened it only had planning permission until 31st March 2025 meaning the building would have started to be dismantled at the end of this year. That deadline's since been extended to 2026 but the intention remains that it must disappear because the underlying plan for housing takes precedence. This prime spot by the station is needed for shops, a health centre, employment space and a community focus, even if that means sacrificing a world class tourist attraction for a pigeon-y piazza and few stacks of flats.
The future: The promoters would love Abba Voyage "to stay forever", because although the arena's technically reusable it's not economically viable to move it elsewhere, but it'd take a strategic change of heart for that to happen. The golden goose which put Pudding Mill Lane on the world map may yet fly away, replaced by an identikit neighbourhood of densely-packed housing with a station that's still unnecessarily enormous. Come back in ten more years and see how it all turns out.
A typical Saturday: Very quiet. A few more bored teenaged stunt cyclists than usual. Sudden arrival of provincial 60-somethings in glittery tops and swishy slacks, thinking there was some genuine need to get here early. Increasing onslaught of giggly families, spangled friends and overdressed ladies spilling across the street. Sudden quiet bit during the performance. Leery invasion by beery West Ham fans on occasional weekends. Repeated onslaught for evening performance. A few last strays hanging around outside the bar in the 'Snoozebox' container hotel.
who on earth used it outside of Voyage shows.
Pretty much nothing was there. It was originally a pretty small basic station that was only built to take some pressure off Stratford, but it was closed in the mid-2000s partly because it wouldn't have been able to cope with the passenger numbers at the Olympics and partly because the Elizabeth Line was set to blitz right through the site anyway.What was in that spot before the arena which needed a station like Pudding Mill Lane? I thought it opened for the arena specifically - and even then wondered who on earth used it outside of Voyage shows.