It’s almost impossible to walk through London’s Waterloo train station without the ABBA hit ear-worming its way through your brain. That was certainly the case back in April 2024, when commuters were stunned by a pro-ABBA flash mob that turned the busy station into a flashback pop party, just in time to celebrate the Swedish band’s 50th anniversary!
Amassing more than 86,000 views since reaching YouTube three months ago, this feel-good footage offers the ultimate musical uplift that every classic pop fan craves. And you’ll be surprised at how vividly this song lives on in the hearts and minds of hundreds! Music Man readers can watch the magic unfold in the unmissable clip below…
It all begins with one incredibly brave female soloist – her voice breaking through the hustle and bustle of Waterloo station with a flawlessly sung line, delivered from a bench outside the beauty store, Boots.
We can’t imagine how hard it must be to break spontaneously into song, surrounded by strangers and angry, train-waiting commuters, but as the first singer belts her pitch-perfect lyrics, her melody is soon matched by another vocalist, their hair colors and infectiously upbeat spirit resurrecting Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s original ABBA spirit.
Before long, a small cluster of additional singers is walking behind the lead ladies, fleshing out their sound as they join together as one vocal group. A crowd of passengers is seen circling a grand piano placed in the train station’s centre, as the ladies make their way to the giant, silvery ABBA logo, roped off to craft a stage for their exciting performance to unfold.
But who are these mystery women? They’re actually part of the Mark De-Lisser Singers, “a 20 person choir organised by Mark De-Lisser,” according to music-news.com. Mark De-Lisser is a Fulham-born choir director, arranger, and vocal coach who claimed fame after founding the award-winning ACM Gospel Choir (now known as the MDL Singers), and for his musical work in both the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation.
As the ABBA flashmob plays out, the rest of the Mark De-Lisser Singers join the party, amping up the good vibes whilst putting the multicultural heart of London on full and beautiful display. Dancing along to the classic beat and performing with the brightest smiles you can picture, these singers turn the drab train station into a full-on ABBA sing-along, convincing passengers of all ages and races to lend their own voices to the hit.
Don’t miss the bloke in the ABBA t-shirt singing along behind one of the cameramen, the young boy smiling on his dancing dad’s shoulders, or the swathes of surprised passengers stopping in their tracks to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary moment! It’s the ultimate example of how music can join complete and utter strangers together in a soul-cleansing moment, rerouting the common London chaos into a performance exuding pure, community spirit.
This joyous ABBA flashmob — led by one fearless soloist — turned Waterloo into a pop party and rightly went viral. If you’d like to watch the full clip, learn more about the performers, or explore related coverage, useful links are provided below for you to discover more.