Thank you for the music, why you should go to the Trundle ABBA Festival (2025)

As my long, white knee-high boots pad down the red dirt road and my sequined cape catches in the wind, the music up ahead is beckoning.

I have a dream, it is filled with music, riotous colours, bell bottoms, long sideburns, love and laughter - and I've found it.

Trundle ABBA Festival has long been a dream for the faithful of this Swedish supergroup born in the 1970s that Australia adopted as its own.

For 10 years people have flocked to this tiny dot of a town in the NSW Central West to party. This year the joyous celebration was huge - after all it's 50 years since ABBA sang Waterloo at Eurovision and won.

This one-day festival was established in 2012 by ABBA fans Gary and Ruth Crowley, who drew inspiration from the nearby Parkes Elvis Festival and it has put Trundle on the map ever since

What's on at Trundle ABBA Festival?

The party starts on Trundle's stunningly wide main street from 8.30am, there's a merch tent and festival markets are open with a host of ABBA inspired goodies.

Grab a bite to eat, your morning cuppa and warm up your dance moves as music floats across the street.

We lined up with people from France - who'd decided this festival was a must-do event on their short trip to Australia - to get our photo taken with huge ABBA lettering.

The Waterloo Express train arrives from Parkes at 12pm and it's filled with sequined, heart-shaped sunglass-wearing music fans who've been enjoying sing-offs against on-board Super Trooper ambassadors.

Festival gates open at 12.15pm a short five minute stroll away in Berryman Oval, and this is your place for entertainment, food vans, more merch, the bar, and a huge disco ball that's as tall as two adults!

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Some great music

Be prepared for nine hours straight of music, good-vibes and fun.

First up on the main stage were the enthusiastic voices, and ABBA-inspired costumes, of the Andante Andante Choir.

DJ Diggz was up next and if his mix doesn't get you up shakin' your groove thing, then nothing will.

After a best dressed competition, 70s dance party band, Disco Revolution, wowed the crowd with the biggest hits of the decade.

A festival highlight, and almost outshining the day's main act was, Furnace and the Fundamentals.

Click on the photo to see more pictures

These guys are bona fide party starters and their high-energy, non-stop mashup of hit songs was energetic and engaging. Make sure you add them to your 'must-see bands' list.

As the sky turned gold and the sun dipped below the horizon, festival regulars and headline act Bjorn Again whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

The world's number one ABBA tribute show has been together since 1988, they played all the big hits and their synchronised moves and 'Swenglish' accents had people screaming for more.

As their last song, Dancing Queen, started, fireworks erupted from behind the stage filling the sky with colour and the memories of concertgoers for a lifetime.

What you need to know

Trundle's population is about 335 people, but on festival day it swelled to 2100 people for this year's event.

Trundle ABBA Festival has so much potential to get bigger in the future, you've only got to look up the road to the nearby Parkes Elvis Festival to see that people will travel for the promise of a festival, fun time and great music.

Cost for the 2024 festival was $90 (early bird), $100 (up to day before the festival) or $110 on the day. Youth tickets $70 and children free.

Where to stay

Trundle Hotel or camping at Trundle Showgrounds are the local options, otherwise stay in nearby Forbes (50 minutes drive away) or Parkes (40 minutes).

I stayed in an Airbnb right in the heart of Forbes for two nights so I could enjoy all the festival fun. The two-storey studio style home on Lawler Street can sleep four people and was a 20-second walk from the main street, boutiques, cafes and pubs.

The well-appointed property also has two desks and a workspace if you simply can't go away without at least checking the emails.