1st July 2026
“What a night, what a crowd,” says Gary Barlow before leaving the stage. Could it be magic? I’d say it absolutely was.
Before we go any further, this isn’t going to be a perfectly balanced review. It can’t be. This is coming from someone who’s been a Take That fan since 14, now 22, and that feels like a lifetime. I’ve been there for every album and single since. So if you’re coming with me to The Circus, we’re doing this properly.
The Circus Tour is one I’ve always been slightly envious of. Hearing people talk about it back in 2009, it sounded like the biggest, boldest show on earth. So when the band announced they were bringing it back, it felt like a second chance. Like something I’d missed might finally be mine.
In September 2025, I queued up and bought tickets for London Stadium, perfectly planned around my birthday. Unfortnately that didn’t work out in the end, so instead, I found myself travelling all the way to Manchester’s Etihad Stadium for the tour’s final UK date. That tells you everything you need to know. There was no way I was missing this.
To say I was excited is an understatement. Anyone who knows me would tell you that.
The journey up was soundtracked, of course, by Take That on repeat. Heading into Manchester, their home city, it already felt like this was going to be something bigger. This is where it all started back in 1990, playing anywhere that would have them. Sometimes three shows a day. Gary Barlow was performing in working men’s clubs at just 11. There isn’t another band better suited to a show like this.
Arriving at the stadium, grinning from ear to ear after the long journey, I caught the tail end of soundcheck. Zoe’s Relight My Fire sounded incredible, easily the best I’ve ever heard it. Then Mike Stevens ran through the sax for A Million Love Songs, taking me straight back to where it all started for me, picking up Odyssey in 2018. Just before heading in, the opening piano chords of Greatest Day drifted out to the fans waiting outside. At that point, you just knew. It was going to be exactly that.
Heading into the stadium, I found my seat and immediately apologised to the people next to me. I knew what was coming. I’d be belting every word, swaying my arms to Shine, lifting them high for Never Forget, and fully committing to the Pray dance. I just hoped my enthusiasm added to their experience rather than ruined it.
Before any of that, though, came the support acts.
First up was Belinda Carlisle. For me, it never quite got going. The crowd felt distracted, with plenty more interested in the England World Cup match than what was happening on stage. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much beyond Heaven Is a Place on Earth. At that point, it felt like it had arrived early while everyone was still waiting for Take That. The biggest reaction came when England scored. Carlisle and her band briefly seemed to take that as their moment before realising otherwise.
Then came The Script. Fans will know Danny and the band supported Take That on the original Circus Tour, and you could tell how much it meant for him to be back. The pauses between songs, the thank-yous to the audience and the band, all of it felt genuine. The crowd came alive for The Man Who Can’t Be Moved. Danny spent most of the set down at the barriers, running from side to side. Hard to keep track of at times, but it brought real energy to those up close. Unlike the first set, I wasn’t in any rush for this one to end.
Then came the moment 45,000 of us had been waiting for. But before it could properly begin, the band surprised us with their new single, Sweet July, released just two days later. Looking back, I don’t think I took it in at all. The anticipation, the movement, the scale of everything going on, it was all too much in the best way. I’ve made up for it since, though. It was on repeat the whole journey home, and it’s only made me more excited for what’s next.
The stage was set, and before the band appeared, we got our first glimpse of Zoe, who, alongside the cast, helped guide Jo the clown into the hot air balloon after being revealed from one of his own. From that moment, the circus was fully underway.
This tour fully commits to its name. It’s not just a concert. It’s a circus. Every detail feels considered. The performers are woven into the show itself, not just as spectacle but as part of the pacing. They give the band space to reset, change costumes, and breathe. The tap-dancing guard before Never Forget was a perfect example.
The show began with the band revealed from beneath balloons, which were then lifted into the hot air balloon above. Simple, but effective. It immediately linked the band to the wider spectacle. Starting on the B-stage brought them closer to the crowd, drawing everyone in from the very beginning.
From there, the scale only grew as the show moved towards the main stage. It built without losing that sense of connection. All of this unfolded to the opening chords of Greatest Day. Originally released on The Circus, it feels made for moments like this. “I want to see your arms in the air, nice and high,” Barlow called out, and 45,000 people did exactly that.
Then came Hello, with Mark Owen on lead vocals, properly welcoming the crowd. Again, a track from The Circus, and another wave of nostalgia. For some, this was a return. For others, like me, it was something we’d only imagined. Either way, everyone knew it. Every word, every beat, every breath.
That’s what made it special. This wasn’t a crowd learning a new album. It was a crowd that already lived in these songs.
By this point, I was completely in it and just happy to be there.
From there came a wave of 90s magic, hit after hit, and the crowd knew every word. Could It Be Magic had Gary encouraging the deafening crowd to sing, not that I needed any help. “We are going to have the best night ever,” he said, thanking everyone for being there. Even from far back in the stadium, I felt right there with them.
Then came Pray. I belted out every word, watching the band perform the iconic routine, Gary working the mic back and forth, and that falsetto cutting through it all.
A Million Love Songs followed, the song that started it all for me. A perfect change of pace. After the big hitters, this felt emotional. Singing something I’ve sung a hundred times before, now back to them. Mike Stevens’ sax solo was a reminder of why he’s been there from the very beginning.
Then came the words every fan knows. “Let it rain.” It could only mean Back for Good. For anyone who knows the video, the band drenched in rain in those heavy coats, that image has become part of the song itself. On stage, that same idea comes to life. Water pours down and fountains surround them, soaking the fans at the barriers. It brought everyone together again, band and audience as one.
We slowed things down again with The Garden. Fans will remember the original tour and the famous elephant. Iconic. I know it’s a favourite moment for Gary, moving through the crowd and seeing it all from above. On the ground, a marching band followed. At times, there was so much going on that you didn’t know where to look.
Then came a long build into Shine, giving time for a costume change. For us, it meant acrobatics, movement, and a full reveal of the main stage. This was where the circus truly came to life. Mark Owen led the crowd through it, thousands swaying their arms. It was deafening, and exactly where I wanted to be. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
Then something unexpected. The stage cleared. No spectacle, no circus, just the band. Gary on keys, Howard on drums, Mark on vocals for Up All Night. It was simple, and it worked. A reminder that they don’t need everything else. Just them and us.
The only thing I thought afterwards was that there was no mention of Jason Orange, who had such a big role in the original tour. It didn’t take anything away, but he is missed. His songs were the only real change to the setlist.
Babe followed, a Mark Owen classic from Everything Changes. Written to give him his own moment back then, and more than 30 years on, it still works. I didn’t realise how much I needed to hear it live until that moment. Intimate, but the crowd were still right there with him.
Gary then introduced the band and gave the crowd another simple instruction. For the new song, all you have to do is sing “ohhh.” Easy. With You’re a Superstar already on repeat for weeks, the crowd didn’t need asking twice. For me, this was a highlight. Gary moved around the stage with total ease, building the energy as he went, and then joined Mark at the piano as the song opened out even further. “Every boundary can be overcome, from the ocean to the stars above.” It’s a line that stuck with me. It’s been a hard time, but in that moment, I found real joy. I needed to be there. In Manchester.
Now came the best part of the night, the Barlow ballads section, with Love Ain’t Here Anymore, Nobody Else and Said It All. The band and everybody had left the stage, and left the captain in charge. Nobody Else is in my top three Take That songs, so even getting a section of it felt special. Gary’s songwriting has always hit me hard because so much of it feels personal. His songs often seem to mirror parts of my own life. Said It All was brilliant too, with that “but now that you’re gone, oh you’re gone” line playing out against a tightrope act that had everyone thinking, oh my god, that’s dangerous.
At that point, I couldn’t believe what I’d seen. And if it had stopped there, I’d have been happy.
What Is Love came next, my favourite Take That song. A rare Howard vocal, and one that builds beautifully to that “Only you can see me now, only you can feel me now” moment. His voice carries so much love and sadness at once. You can really feel the theatre of it too, especially with the band applying their sad clown makeup, a clear nod to the original Said It All video from The Circus era. Hearing that moment live was magic enough for me.
But the sadness only lasted a moment before the clowns burst into a 90s medley of Do What U Like, Promises and Take That and Party. Brilliant songs from their first album, songs we’ll probably never hear again on tour. The Do What U Like moment was a perfect in-joke, a playful nod to the original video, the one with the jelly and custard that long-time fans would get immediately. Party was extended for Mark and Howard to ride a unicycle across the catwalk to the B-stage, while the camera very deliberately zoomed in on Howard’s crotch as he mounted it. They know their audience. Gary, knowing it was not for him, made his way through on a bike with stabilisers, adding to the fun. At the end, they pulled down their trousers to reveal TT underwear. Those women at the front were definitely glad they paid for the barrier.
After letting themselves, and us, catch our breath, they launched into Said It All. A brilliant ballad from The Circus album, and another moment where the clown makeup tied neatly back into the show’s theme. Everything, from the smallest detail to the pacing, felt thought through. It proved they are masters of their craft.
Then came the tap-dancing intro to Never Forget, and it was a proper circus moment from the top. So overwhelmed with adrenaline and emotion, I just remember closing my eyes when it was time to raise my arms and joining in. It was euphoric, surrounded by thousands of people all doing the same thing. I couldn’t help but feel completely in the moment. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter.
Then came Patience, and when “cause I” hit, I was fully there. Nothing was pulling me out of that moment.
“Don’t you wanna keep the fire burning?” Relight My Fire came next, after a few minutes of stage setup. Enough time to recover from the anthems, just about. Zoe Birkett gave the intro everything she had, and she was sensational. She didn’t just sing it; she set it alight. Her voice filled the whole stadium with power, personality and total confidence. The costume made it even better: that striking red showpiece, full of sparkle, feathers and drama, looked tailor-made for the part. She looked like the ringmaster of the whole night. There’s been a campaign among fans to release her version, and it absolutely should happen. She is one of the standout parts of the entire show, and she lifts the song to another level. The flames went up across the stadium. The heat on your face only added to the moment. If you haven’t heard this version, it really is unmatched.
Sadly, the penultimate song was Hold Up a Light. I’ve never cared much for the studio version, but live it becomes an anthem, with Mark once again showing how well he can work a crowd. “Because I’m loving you and loving this” was exactly how it felt. After one final thank you to the stage band, cast, crew and audience, came the last song.
Then it was time to say goodbye with Rule the World. Gary gave one last instruction: “If you have a phone, light it up.” Again, it brought him and the crowd closer together. That sense of togetherness ran through the whole show and made it unlike anything else. I sang my heart out one last time, knowing nights like this come around so rarely. The final “for you” felt like I gave everything I had left.
Then came the outro, and time to leave the stadium, but I wasn’t really ready to come back down. The journey home felt like an emotional daze. It was the kind that only comes after a night that means a bit too much. This band means the world to me. I’ve grown up with them, and I’m proud to be part of the TT army. What they make, whether in the studio or on the road, touches people’s hearts. As a designer and photographer myself, I can only dream of adding even a small part to their incredible legacy.
All I have left to say is thank you. When times are tough, music is never far away, and Take That are right there. I’m already looking forward to TT10. See you soon, lads.
Review by Ceejay Bonner