Out of all the seasonal subcultures of TikTok, one of our favourites has to be women living their best Mamma Mia life with a ‘Donna Sheridan summer’. Even 15 years after the smash hit movie musical came out (where has that time gone?), women are flying solo to Greek islands to dance, sing, date and indulge in a glorious life of sun, sand and sea overseas.

For those who somehow aren’t still obsessed with the ABBA-based musical, the movie followed Sophie Sheridan and her mother, Donna, as the duo welcomed all their old friends back to their picturesque Greek island hotel for Sophie’s wedding. Alongside Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep, the cast was packed with stars singing and sunning themselves in what looks like the most enjoyable movie to film of all time.

Julie Walters and Christine Baranski were Donna’s irreplaceable ‘backup girls’, Sophie’s financé, Sky, was played by Dominic Cooper, while Donna had to face her three ex-boyfriends – all of whom had the potential to be Sophie’s dad: Bill (Stellan Skarsgård), Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Pierce Brosnan). “Donna Sheridan, you shady lady.” 

Nothing says messy, carefree, wild, summer romance like Donna Sheridan’s summer diary. She’s become synonymous with embracing opportunities and adventures, as well as an inspiration for female solo travellers.

The romantic comedy soared at the box office and remains one of the top 15 highest-grossing movies in the UK. It has since evolved into a sequel, a West End musical and an immersive experience in London: Mamma Mia: The Party – for those of us who want a slice of Greece at home.

With over 248 million views on TikTok, #DonnaSheridanSummer has become the epitome of a single girl summer holiday. Hot girl summer is out, as women romanticise escaping their daily lives, abandoning their responsibilities and moving to a remote island in Europe. 

ABBA is often playing in the background on these videos, with anthems such as Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and Chiquitita helping to send videos viral. Young Donna’s (Lily James) dialogue from Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! has become a staple travel audio for individuals who have embraced her ethos: “Life is short, the world is wide and I want to make some memories.”

One user confessed to moving to a Greek island for the summer after being inspired to live out Donna Sheridan’s life. The summer of a lifetime (it seems, from the footage at least) shows her island hopping, travelling on a private boat, singing in bars, enjoying sunsets on the beach and swimming in the sea. 

Die-hard fans of the musical can visit Skiathos and Skopelos, the islands where the movie and its 2018 sequel were filmed. Run up the hill where Streep belted out The Winner Takes It All or recreate Seyfried’s iconic moment on the rocks with Lay All Your Love On Me.

Donna Sheridan’s popularity skyrocketed throughout the pandemic when users had to escape into fictional worlds because real travel was heavily restricted. Since then, there’s been a spike in female travellers heading out solo to explore the world and an increase in demand for female-only travel tours. Enter the likes of TourRadar and Gals Who Travel.

As all solo travellers will tell you, it’s a life-changing experience, but sometimes in more ways than one. Back in 2019, Tasha set out on an eight-month solo sabbatical around the world and documented her impressive journey on TikTok.

Skip to 65,000 followers later, Tasha has quit her full-time pharmacy job to become a full-time content creator who is spending the summer sailing around Croatia.

Turns out a Donna Sheridan lifestyle doesn’t have to be just for summer; instead, embracing adventure and unexpected second chances can change the course of your whole life. In short, always be more Donna. 

Images: Rex Features