More than 5000 people from across Australia are expected to attend this year’s Trundle ABBA Festival.
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As well as the Central West, people come from far and wide, including Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Last year organisers have even sold festival tickets to patrons overseas.
Festival founders Gary and Ruth Crowley first had the idea after coming home from the Parkes Elvis Festival in 2011.
“After we got home from Parkes, I thought I’d Google ABBA Festivals, but I couldn’t find one… so I thought ‘bugger it, let’s put one on’,” Gary said.
Six months later was the Parkes Shire witnessed the birth of the first Trundle ABBA Festival.
Gary believes it is the the first ever ABBA Festival of its type.
“I know there is an ABBA Day somewhere overseas… but I believe this may be the first ABBA Festival in the world,” he said.
The town, visitors and musicians have embraced the festival since it’s conception.
“Trundle has got a heart bigger than Ben Hurr,” Gary said.
He said the ABBA Festival was “a lot of fun to put on”.
“And the people who come bring a lot of fun,” he said.
And Gary was thrilled to add that ticket sales are up from this time last year.
He believes the event continues to grow in popularity because the ABBA era was like nothing else.
“I think it transports people back to a time when it was carefree,” he said.
Gary had no idea the festival would become as big as it has.
“People typically measure the success of a festival by numbers. I had no idea when we first started that we could measure the success of this festival by the way it affects people’s lives in a positive way,” he said.
The two-day festival kicks off next Friday, May 4, with a performance from Rhonda Burchmore and Lara Mulcahy that evening.
Next Saturday morning – that’s when the festival really takes off, with many competitions, events and activities held throughout the town.
And for the first time, the festival events will run out of Berryman Oval.
There will be a singing and Fashions of the Festival competition.
Gary said Dancing with the Stars performers Alana Patience and Tristan MacManus will be back to judge the popular dancing competition.
Sydney band Kotahi Groove will also be entertaining the crowds on the Saturday, and there will be performances from local bands and duos, such as Amitie.
We can’t forget the hordes of festival goers will arrive on the ABBA Express from Sydney on Saturday morning and a novelty world record attempt of the most number of people dancing to Dancing Queen.
And to top off a great festival will be the return of Tribute band Bjorn Again, for their fourth consecutive Trundle ABBA Festival.
Bjorn Again is the only band endorsed by ABBA themselves.
In addition, there will be two representatives from the Sweden Consulate in Sydney this year.
Many locals will also be holding fundraising events during the festival, including a trivia/band night at the Trundle Hall on the Friday, which is being hosted by the local St Patrick’s School, and a Unite in Pink night on Friday – a Cancer Council Pink Ribbon fundraiser for all women’s cancers at the Trundle Services and Citizens Club.
For the first time there will also be a bar at the festival, Gary said, with profits raised going towards restoring the pub to its former glory.
To find out more information visit www.trundleabbafestival.com.au