Take That Stages Circus Tour with Elephant at St Mary’s
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- Take That staged a circus‑themed concert at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, featuring a sky‑blue air balloon and a mechanical elephant that walked onto the main stage.
- The show revives the 2009 “The Circus” tour, which was the fastest‑selling UK stadium tour and generated over £40 million in profit.
- Gary Barlow, now leading the trio with Mark Owen and Howard Donald, highlighted the band’s focus on ticket sales, noting they will tour even if a new album flops.
- Setlist centered on greatest hits, including “Pray”, “A Million Love Songs”, “Back for Good”, and the recent single “You’re a Superstar”.
- Performance included circus acts—elephants, fire‑breathers, tight‑rope walkers, trapeze artists, trampolinists, and aerialists—with band members joining in, such as Howard and Mark on unicycles and Gary on a kid’s bike.
Why it matters: The show underscores Take That’s shift from streaming revenue to ticket‑driven profit, reinforcing their status as a legacy act that can still command massive audiences; fans gain a high‑production experience, while the band’s focus on live earnings signals a broader industry trend toward touring over digital sales.
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