World Theatre Day, which takes place annually on 27 March, celebrates the importance of live performances, and the joy it brings to millions of Britons. According to UK Theatre, more people than ever before attended the theatre in 2025, with more than 37 million people attending venues across the UK.
In the West End alone, a record-breaking 17.6 million theatregoers enjoyed shows, nearly three million more than Broadway. One of the most popular musicals to be shown in the West End, and across the globe, is of course ‘Mamma Mia’.
Since its debut, it has been seen by more than 70 million people worldwide and been turned into two highly successful movies. If you’re one of the millions of people who enjoyed the musical, which is based on ABBA hits, you may not realise that some of its famous tunes could provide important financial lessons.
So, against this backdrop, let’s look at five ABBA hits from the show, and the financial lessons the songs could provide.
1. Money money money
The catchy song, which is performed by Donna in the musical, is one of ABBA’s most iconic. Originally released in 1976, the song is about the pursuit of financial stability.
Central to this is good budgeting, as understanding what’s coming in and going out of your accounts each month avoids the risk of inadvertently falling into debt. This in turn could help you to sidestep expensive interest charges.
Sitting down and going through your bank statements regularly could help you to gain greater clarity about your spending habits, and how to reduce the charges you might be paying.
Additionally, it could highlight any unusual activity on your accounts, which could be the result of a scam. Spotting it early and taking action could save you significant amounts over the long term.
2. I have a dream
One of the most important elements of financial planning is to have an objective. This is why financial advisers encourage you to consider your goals and so that you can build a plan to achieve them.
Having a goal, and a plan to go with it, means you can see how much progress you’re making towards your objectives, and whether any action is needed. Furthermore, having an objective means you’re less likely to make a decision you could regret later on.
For example, when the stock market suffers a downturn, concentrating on your long-term goals could prevent you making a knee jerk decision to sell in a bid to limit losses. Selling your investment is likely to turn a paper loss into a reality, and prevent your money from recovering when the stock market bounces back, which historically, it’s tended to do.
This is why identifying your goals and creating a financial roadmap to achieve them could be a very shrewd idea. Always remember that past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
3. SOS
One of ABBA’s biggest hits, the song charted in nearly 20 countries when it was released in the mid-1970s. The title of the song relates to the maritime distress call, used when someone is in need of help due to an unforeseen situation at sea.
When it comes to your finances, unforeseen and unwanted events can happen. This could be, for example, being unable to work due to serious illness or an accident.
If you are forced to live off your savings or investments to maintain your lifestyle, this could have ramifications for your financial security, and may even put it at risk. This is why ensuring you have financial protection, which would provide an income or lump sum if the unwanted happens, should always be at the heart of a good financial plan.
4. Take a chance on me
This ABBA song offers a cautionary note. When it comes to investing, it’s important to understand the level of risk that’s involved with it, and whether it’s appropriate for you.
While taking more risk may result in greater gains, it could also increase the chance of significant losses. If the latter happens, it could seriously jeopardise your financial security, which is why it’s important to understand the risks involved with any investment you’re considering.
A financial adviser will be able to assess the risk and whether it’s right for you, and explain those risks using clear, jargon-free language. This means you can then expose your money to the level of growth you’re looking for while enjoying peace of mind that it’s exposed to a level of risk you’re comfortable with, and can afford to take.
5. Does your mother know
While your financial situation is not something you probably want to share, there is one group of people you might want to include in the decisions you make with your wealth: your family. If your adviser is working with your nearest and dearest, they’ll be able to identify opportunities for you to help them, and vice versa.
One example of this could be if your parents are elderly and intend to pass a significant amount of wealth to you when they die. Sharing the same financial adviser could ensure the assets passed to you are done so in a way that reduces any exposure to Inheritance Tax.
Furthermore, the adviser can help you understand how best to use those assets going forward, providing peace of mind to you and your parents that the benefits of the gift will be maximised.
Get in touch
We hope you enjoyed our Mamma Mia and ABBA inspired blog, and found the lessons the songs might provide useful. If you would like to discuss ways we could help you get more from your finances, please contact us on 0333 010 0008. We’d be happy to arrange a no-obligation initial meeting with one of our independent financial advisers.
27 March 2026