As well as visitors from the Central West, people come from furhter afield, including Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Organisers have sold Festival tickets to patrons overseas last year.

Festival founders Gary and Ruth Crowley first got the idea after coming home from the Parkes Elvis Festival in 2011.

“After we got home from Parkes I thought I’d Google ABBA Festivals, but I couldn’t find one… so I thought ‘bugger it, let’s put one on!,” Mr Crowley said.

Six months later saw the first Trundle ABBA Festival.

Mr Crowley believes it is the first-ever ABBA Festival of its type.

“I know there is an ABBA Day somewhere overseas… but I believe this may be the first ABBA Festival in the world,” he said.

The town, visitors and musicians have embraced the festival since its inception.

“Trundle has got a heart bigger than Ben Hur,” Mr Crowley said.

Mr Crowley said the ABBA Festival was “a lot of fun to put on.”

“And the people that come bring a lot of fun,” he said.

Mr Crowley said ticket sales are up on this time last year.

He believes the event continues to grow in popularity because the ABBA era was like nothing else.

“I think it transports people back to a time when it was carefree,” he said.

Mr Crowley said he had no idea the Festival would become as big as it has.

“People typically measure the success of a Festival by numbers. I had no idea when we first started that we could measure the success of this Festival by the way it affects peoples lives in a positive way,” he said.

The two-day Festival starts on Friday, May 4, with an evening performance from Rhonda Burchmore and Lara Mulcahy.

On Saturday morning the real action starts with many competitions, events and activities throughout the town.

There will be a signing and Fashions of the festival competition.

Mr Crowley said Dancing with the Stars performers Alana Patience and Tristan MacManus will be back to judge the popular dancing competition.

Mr Crowley said the dancing competition was a lot of fun.

Sydney band Kotahi Groove will also be entertaining the crowds of the Saturday.

There will also be performances from local bands and duos.

Mr Crowley said this year there will be two representatives from the Swedish Consulate in Sydney.

For more visit www.trundleabbafestival.com.au

Many locals will also be holding fundraising events during the Festival, including a trivia/band night at the Trundle Hall on the Friday, which is being hosted by the local St Patrick’s School.

For the first time there will also be a bar at the Festival, Mr Crowley said, with profits raised going towards restoring the pub to its former glory.

There will also be a ‘paint the town pink’ fundraiser in the town’s pubs and Clubs.

To find out more information visit www.trundleabbafestival.com.au