To be honest, I am not the biggest proponent of going out, but if I do get roped into it, I would prefer for it to be to somewhere unique and different from your typical bar. That’s why when my roommate on Semester at Sea suggested going to Mamma Mia: The Party at the O2 in London, I was immediately on board. She and I had been visiting the ABBA museum in Stockholm when we read about Mamma Mia: The Party, which is essentially a Mamma Mia themed dinner, show, and disco. We were disappointed to learn that it no longer operated in Stockholm, but then realized that it had moved to London which we just happened to be visiting the following week.
The premise of this event is that you get to watch a Mamma Mia themed production while enjoying a three-course Greek meal at a set that is designed to make you feel like you have been magically transported to whichever Greek island is depicted in the movie. The food was actually quite good and they had options for those with dietary restrictions as well.
I am not going to sugarcoat it- tickets are expensive. To be precise, they cost anywhere from £99 to 200 (pounds) depending on the season and type of ticket. We chose the cheapest ticket option and did not have any obstructed views- in fact, were right in the middle of the action. The price felt worth it to me because since it includes a show, disco, and a three-course meal, you can spend your entire night there and not feel the need to go anywhere else after. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase of course, and the pitcher of sangria my friend and I ordered was a perfect addition to the fun ambience.
Getting there from central areas of London was simple enough on the tube (metro) and only took us a little over half an hour. It is inside of the O2, which is the UK’s second largest indoor venue. When we arrived we were blown away by how committed they were to the Greek theme, making even the exterior of the venue look as though we were no longer in England. After we were led to our table, the first few scenes of the interactive show began before they briefly halted to make way for the first course of our meal. The night continued in this pattern until the show finally ended around two hours later. A make-shift stage was set up in just a few short minutes and a disco ball descended so that we could then dance the night away to ABBA music.
This was one of my favorite nights out of all time and it is WELL worth the steep-looking price. I believe that all things considered though, it is fairly reasonable as I spend that much just to attend one Broadway show nowadays. If you love Greek food, dancing, and ABBA then this is absolutely the event for you.
