Welcome & ABBA Voyage.
A quiet welcome at the hotel, then ABBA Voyage in Stratford. Plan to land by early afternoon.
Confirmed
London · 17 — 19 July 2026
Pascal turns sixty.
Three days. One city. Everyone in the same room. This is the guest guide — keep it close while you plan, and bring it with you when you fly.
— days · — hr · — minLast updated
Overview
A long weekend, three movements.
A loose shape rather than a packed schedule. The big anchors are confirmed; the rest is being finalised so the rhythm stays unhurried.
London by day, Aqua Shard by night.
An open day in the city followed by the birthday dinner on Level 31.
Confirmed venue
Brunch & goodbyes.
A gentle send-off before flights. Plan flights for late afternoon onwards if you can.
Coming soon
PASCAL60LONDON17 — 19 JULY 2026ABBA VOYAGEAQUA SHARDWILDE LIVERPOOL ST
PASCAL60LONDON17 — 19 JULY 2026ABBA VOYAGEAQUA SHARDWILDE LIVERPOOL ST
PASCAL60LONDON17 — 19 JULY 2026ABBA VOYAGEAQUA SHARDWILDE LIVERPOOL ST
PASCAL60LONDON17 — 19 JULY 2026ABBA VOYAGEAQUA SHARDWILDE LIVERPOOL ST
PASCAL60LONDON17 — 19 JULY 2026ABBA VOYAGEAQUA SHARDWILDE LIVERPOOL ST
Before you travel
Four things, in order.
Work through these in sequence. The first one has a hard deadline; the rest are gentle but worth doing early. Travel rules can shift — please verify anything that affects entry on the official source closer to the date.
- 01
Apply for your UK ETA.
Most non-UK and non-Irish citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the UK, even for a weekend. The form takes minutes, costs £20, and most decisions land within a day (allow up to three working days). Apply on the official gov.uk page or via the UK ETA app — anywhere else is a scam. When the form asks where you'll be staying, the hotel is Wilde Aparthotels, 92 Middlesex St, London E1 7EZ.
Action requiredBy end of June - 02
Book your flights.
Land Friday morning or early afternoon. Depart late Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. Heathrow has the widest range from most home cities; Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City all work too. We'll keep checking the routes once we know everyone's windows.
When you can - 03
Pack for British July.
Average highs around 23 °C with the occasional warm day. A light waterproof and one warmer layer than you'd think will rarely let you down. The Met Office updates a useful 7-day forecast closer to the date.
Closer to travel - 04
Join the group chat.
The WhatsApp group is live — join here ↗. Everyone's in there: logistics, last-minute updates, photos before, during and after. Caueh's email below still works for anything you'd rather not say in front of thirty people.
Live · join now
Arrival
Landing in London.
A short, calm walkthrough of how to get from each airport to the hotel, and how the group meets up on Friday afternoon. Hotel anchor: Wilde Aparthotels Liverpool Street.
From Heathrow
The simplest route: take the Elizabeth Line direct to Liverpool Street. Roughly 37 minutes, no change of train, every five to ten minutes from each terminal. Tap a contactless card at the gates — no separate ticket needed.
Heathrow Express to Paddington (15 min) is faster but pricier and you'll need a Tube hop afterwards.
From Stansted, Gatwick, Luton, City — or Eurostar
- Stansted → Stansted Express direct to Liverpool Street, ~50 min. Best match for our hotel.
- Gatwick → Thameslink to Farringdon, change for Liverpool Street, ~50 min total. Or Gatwick Express + Tube.
- Luton → Thameslink to Farringdon, change, ~60 min total.
- London City → DLR to Bank, walk five minutes to Liverpool Street, ~25 min.
- Eurostar (St Pancras) →Hammersmith & City line direct to Liverpool Street, ~10 min. Or a short black cab if you're wheeling a big bag.
Always check Transport for London's live planner closer to your travel time.
Friday meet-up & group shuttle
Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity — Liverpool Street. 92 Middlesex St, London E1 7EZ.Three minutes' walk from Liverpool Street station (Bishopsgate exit). Drop your bags at reception any time before check-in (officially from 15:00 — earlier bag drop is no problem), freshen up, grab something at the lobby bar.
We gather in the lobby and the group shuttle to ABBA Voyage leaves at 16:30 sharp. The arena is in Stratford, east London — the ride is about thirty minutes, doors open ~18:00, show starts at 19:45.
Aim to be at the hotel by 16:00 Friday so no-one waits.
Delays, lost luggage, missed trains
Message Caueh as soon as you know — even at 3am. We'll hold the hotel desk, reroute the shuttle if it makes sense, and meet you at the arena. If a Friday delay means missing ABBA, don't panic — Saturday's dinner at Aqua Shard is the real anchor of the weekend.
The WhatsApp group is live with everyone's numbers — fastest line.
Tube cheat-sheetTap any contactless debit/credit card or Apple/Google Pay at the gates — no Oyster needed for short visits, daily fare cap applies automatically. Liverpool Street has the Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Elizabeth Lineand overground — everything we're doing is within a thirty-minute reach.
Schedule
What's confirmed so far.
A short list — only the anchors that are actually locked. Everything else will surface here as it lands. Times shown are local (BST).
Friday 17 JulyConfirmed
19:45 — 21:15
Doors from ~18:00
Doors from ~18:00
ABBA Voyage
A purpose-built arena in Stratford, east London. About ninety minutes of holograms and a live band, no interval. The group has 30 Dance Floor tickets reserved together — booking reference #1190327051. We travel from the hotel as a group; the shuttle leaves at 16:30 Friday sharp.
Costume direction · for everyone
Sequins, bell-bottoms, glitter, capelets, platforms. Anyone, any cut. Pick something that lights up under stage lights — or wear smart-casual and let everyone else do the work.
Saturday 18 JulyConfirmed venue
20:00
Time TBC
Time TBC
Aqua Shard · birthday dinner
Dinner in a private glass room on Level 31 of The Shard, looking out across London. Venue locked, deposit paid. The menu is being curated and lands with the dietary form. A welcome glass of champagne and canapés on arrival is in the works. Smart, evening-ready — jacket-and-shirt, dress, or something you'd wear to a special restaurant on the thirty-first floor.
Sunday 19 JulyComing soon
Late morning
Farewell brunch.
A late-morning brunch in town — possibly with a drag flourish — to land the weekend before flights. Venue and time still being chosen; details land here once locked.
Stay & getting around
Where you'll sleep, how you'll move.
The hotel block is locked at Wilde Aparthotels Liverpool Street, fifteen minutes' walk from the City and right on top of a Tube hub. Airport routes live in Arrival above; everything else for moving around town is below.
Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity — Liverpool Street
A group block of 16 apartments at 92 Middlesex St, London E1 7EZ— three minutes' walk from Liverpool Street station. Booking link and personal rate code go out via Caueh — check your inbox or the WhatsApp group.
- Friday 17 July— bed & breakfast included
- Saturday 18 July — room only (saving appetite for Aqua Shard)
- Sunday 19 July— bed & breakfast included
Getting around
Liverpool Street is a four-line Tube and Elizabeth Line hub — most of the weekend is reachable on a tap-to-pay contactless card. Detailed airport routes (Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line direct from Heathrow and Gatwick, Liverpool Street DLR for City Airport) plus a black-cab cheat sheet will land here.
Expected closer to travel
Explore London
If you have an extra afternoon.
Six honest starting points for the time around the weekend — picked because they earn the trip on their own. Bookings open through GetYourGuide; the links are partnered, so they support the celebration when you book through them.
Museums
The British Museum & beyond.
Skip-the-line tickets and curator-led tours of the city's great collections. A perfect Saturday morning before Aqua Shard.
Browse on GetYourGuide →TheatreA West End show.
Hamilton, Les Misérables, the latest revivals — last-minute West End seats are usually cheaper than you'd expect.
Browse on GetYourGuide →Food & drinkA walking food tour.
Borough Market, Brick Lane, an East End curry crawl. Learn the city through its plates.
Browse on GetYourGuide →RiverA Thames cruise.
Tower Bridge, Westminster, Greenwich — the easy way to see London is from the water.
Browse on GetYourGuide →After darkLondon by night.
Ghost walks, rooftop cocktails, the Sky Garden at sunset. A gentle way into the city.
Browse on GetYourGuide →Open categoryAnything else.
Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Bath, Harry Potter studios, afternoon tea — the full London catalogue.
Browse on GetYourGuide →Affiliate links · partner XJZ4DPO8 · 8% supports the weekend
Frequently asked
Quick answers, before you ask.
If anything below feels incomplete, or you've got a question we should add, send it to Caueh and we'll keep this list growing.
Do I really need a UK ETA?
If you are not a UK or Irish citizen and you don't already have a UK visa or settled status, the answer is almost certainly yes — including for a three-day visit. Always confirm on the official gov.uk ETA page before assuming.
What's the dress code?
Friday — ABBA Voyage:a "wear something you'll have fun in" night. Sequins, glitter, bell-bottoms, capelets, platforms — anyone, any cut. Smart-casual is welcome too. See the costume strip in the schedule for visual cues.
Saturday — Aqua Shard: smart, evening-ready. Think jacket-and-shirt, dress, or something elegant for Level 31. No trainers, no torn jeans.
Sunday — brunch:whatever you're flying home in.
Can I bring a plus-one?
This one is invitation only — we are around thirty close friends, the room block is sized for the group, and we'd rather keep the weekend intimate. Please don't book flights or rooms for anyone who isn't on your invitation.
Is the hotel covered, or do I book my own?
We're holding sixteen apartments at Wilde Aparthotels Liverpool Street so everyone stays together. Caueh sends the booking link and group rate code directly — you book your own room at that rate. Bed & breakfast is included Friday and Sunday; Saturday is room-only because we're saving the appetite for Aqua Shard.
What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
Message Caueh the moment you know — even at 3am. We'll help you reach the group, hold the desk at the hotel, and meet you at the concert if Friday slips. If a delay means missing ABBA Voyage, don't panic — Saturday at Aqua Shard is the real anchor of the weekend.
Should I bring a gift?
Honest answer: no — your flight ticket is the gift. If you want to bring something small from home, Pascal will love it.
Will there be a group chat?
Yes — the WhatsApp group is already live. Join here. Logistics, last-minute updates, and the inevitable photos before, during, and after. Caueh's email still works for anything you'd rather not say in front of thirty people.
Contacts & emergencies
One human to call.
Caueh is the host on the ground — for anything practical, before or during the trip, this is the line.
Caueh Vidal
Anything from "what's the hotel address" to "I'm stuck at passport control." Email for one-on-one, or jump into the group chat for anything everyone should hear.
+41 78 700 22 02
cauehvidal@gmail.com
Join the WhatsApp group ↗
Pascal Broennimann
The man of the weekend. Try the group chat or Caueh first; this number is for real emergencies only.
999 / 112
Police, fire, ambulance — works from any phone, no SIM needed. For non-urgent NHS health questions, dial 111.