Uber Events says ABBA tribute concert cancelled after venue approval revoked

Uber Events has said it was forced to cancel a concert by Australian ABBA tribute band Björn Again hours before it was due to begin after the government withdrew approval to use the Social Centre as the venue.

The organiser issued a statement on Wednesday following government claims that the event had not been blocked.

President's Office Chief Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Dhauru that the government had not instructed the organiser to cancel the concert.

"The government did not instruct them to cancel the event. They were simply asked to relocate to another venue," Shareef said.

He said further information should be sought from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts. Attempts to contact the ministry for comment were unsuccessful.

In its statement, Uber Events said the decision to cancel the ABBA Forever concert came after the ministry withdrew permission to use the Social Centre while stage construction and final preparations for the event were underway.

According to the organiser, the decision was communicated after members of Björn Again had already departed for the Maldives.

"This late-night cancellation was issued after members of Björn Again were already en route to the Maldives," the statement said.

Uber Events said the cancellation had resulted in financial losses for the company and caused disruption for local performers, sponsors and ticket holders.

The organiser said it ensures all international artists invited to perform in the Maldives comply with local laws, regulations and cultural requirements, adding that Björn Again had been prepared to meet all applicable guidelines.

Uber Events apologised to ticket holders and said full refunds for all tickets purchased would begin this week. It also apologised to the members of Björn Again, local performers and crew involved in the production.

Björn Again is an Australian tribute band performing songs made popular by Swedish pop group ABBA. According to Uber Events, the group has staged more than 5,300 performances in 72 countries.