Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA

Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA comes to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone on Thursday 21 January 2027, pairing the rock anthems of Queen with the pop classics of ABBA. The music is performed by a live string quartet, Manor House Music, in a room lit by hundreds of candles.

The setlist draws from both catalogues, with 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Don't Stop Me Now' and 'We Are The Champions' on the Queen side, and 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia' and 'Waterloo' representing ABBA. The two bands couldn't be more different in their origins: Queen formed in London in 1970 and became known for their theatrical stylings and hard rock sound, later celebrated through a West End musical, a movie starring Rami Malek and several Guitar Hero games. ABBA were one of the most successful pop groups of all time, the first Swedish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the source of Mamma Mia!, one of Broadway and the West End's longest-running musicals, later filmed starring Meryl Streep.

The venue is the Church of Christ the Cornerstone at 300 Saxon Gate, MK9 2ES. It opened in 1992 as the UK's first ecumenical city-centre church, built to welcome multiple Christian denominations under one roof, and stands as an architectural landmark of Milton Keynes. The concert lasts 60 minutes and is suitable for ages 8 and older.

Tickets start from £19.42 and must be bought through the app or website, as they aren't sold at the door. The performance begins at 18:15 on 21 January.