Take That fans can fully 'relight their fires' this month, as members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen return to London with The Circus Live. The band will play two epic nights at the London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Park - where they famously performed during the closing ceremony of the London Olympics - on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27.
The Circus Live: A Record-Breaking Tour Returns
Originally staged in 2009, The Circus Live broke UK records as the fastest-selling tour in history, with over 600,000 tickets sold in under 5 hours, and over one million fans attending the sell-out shows across the UK and Ireland. Now, more than 17 years later, Take That are ready to revisit 'one of the most ground-breaking live productions' in UK pop history for a new generation of fans, promising to be even 'bigger and bolder than ever.'
The Boyband of the 90s
Among the plethora of boybands to emerge in the 1990s - Boyzone, Five, Westlife and Blue, to name a few - none defined the era like Take That. The band formed in Manchester in 1990 under manager Nigel Martin-Smith, who wanted to find Britain's answer to US pop outfit New Kids On The Block. With echoes of disco, underground club, house and hi-NRG, Take That turned out to be far removed from Martin-Smith's original concept. The band's fire and ice persona rested on the tug-of-war between frontmen Gary Barlow, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Cheshire, and Robbie Williams, a brash singer from Stoke-on-Trent who brought swagger and charisma.
After several singles failed to chart, Take That scored their first top ten hit with 'It Only Takes A Minute' in 1992, followed by 'A Million Love Songs', 'Pray', 'Relight My Fire', 'Never Forget' and 'Back For Good'. Williams departed in July 1995 and launched a highly successful solo career, while the band officially split the following year. Take That re-formed without Williams in the mid-2000s, reaching a new generation with albums 'Beautiful World' and 'The Circus', scoring hits 'Shine', 'Patience' and 'Rule The World'. Jason Orange left the band in September 2014.
The Circus Tour: A Spectacular Show
Take That's Circus Live broke the mould for live productions when it opened on June 5, 2009. Hailed as a 'trailblazing pop show', it raised the bar for live entertainment with fire-breathers, stilt-walkers, clowns, acrobats, tap dancers, and a huge 30-foot-tall mechanical elephant carrying the band through the audience. The band said: 'The Circus tour was one of our favourite experiences as a band and, in the years since, we've talked many times about how much we'd love to do it again one day. Well, that time has come!'
Set List
Take That - The Circus Live - Summer 2026 will see the band perform the original 2009 set list, with a few new surprises along the way.
- Greatest Day
- Hello
- Could It Be Magic (Barry Manilow cover)
- Pray
- A Million Love Songs
- Back for Good
- The Garden
- Shine
- Up All Night
- Wooden Boat
- How Did It Come to This
- The Circus (Preceded by a medley of 'Love Ain't Here Anymore', 'Babe' and 'Nobody Else')
- What Is Love
- Do What U Like / Promises / It Only Takes a Minute / Take That and Party (Clown Medley)
- Said It All
- Never Forget
- Patience
- Relight My Fire (Dan Hartman cover)
- Hold Up a Light
- Rule the World
Support Acts
The Script, who supported Take That on the original Circus Live Tour in 2009, will return as very special guests on all UK shows in 2026, alongside pop legend Belinda Carlisle. The Script have scored six UK number one albums and sold-out major shows worldwide, with over 10 billion streams. Belinda Carlisle, former Go-Gos lead singer, remains a pop icon after more than four decades.
Merchandise
Fans can purchase merchandise for Take That's The Circus exclusive line on the Take That Official Merch website. Pop-up merchandise stalls at the London Stadium will also sell a variety of t-shirts and memorabilia.
Last-Minute Tickets
Tickets are still available for Take That's two nights at London Stadium, with standing tickets from £58.90 and seated tickets around £158, on sites such as AXS Official Resale or Ticketmaster. Tickets are often resold on the day of concerts, so fans should keep a watchful eye. For official retailers, Seat Unique offers VIP and hospitality packages with premium views, early access, and food & drinks. Take That play the London Stadium on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27.
