EXCLUSIVE: Take That’s Circus Tour at London Stadium was a spectacular show in sweltering 35C heat – but it was the extraordinary kindness of fans that made it truly unforgettable
Fans fainting, ambulance crews rushing through the crowds and a 35C scorcher, but nothing could stop Take That’s loyal army
As London sweltered through its hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 35C, I seriously questioned whether heading to Take That’s sold-out show at the London Stadium was the right decision.
I’d had one of those relentlessly busy weeks, I’d seen the band countless times over the years and, with the country in the middle of a heatwave, part of me wondered if I should just stay at home. I’m so glad I didn’t.
Nothing was going to stop Take That’s loyal fans seeing Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald on the penultimate night of their spectacular Circus Tour, not even temperatures hot enough to leave fans fainting in the stands.
From my seat high up in the second tier, I watched St John Ambulance crews repeatedly rushing through the crowd to help concertgoers overcome by the heat. Twice they were called close to where I was sitting as people struggled in the oppressive conditions.
The climb to the upper levels was exhausting. I watched countless women stopping every few flights of stairs, desperately fanning themselves and trying to catch their breath before carrying on. Then my own evening took an unexpected turn.
My 78-year-old mum, Marion, had come with me. Despite needing a crutch to walk, she was determined not to miss the show. But halfway to our seats, she simply couldn’t go any further. The combination of the relentless heat, the endless stairs and the packed stadium left her convinced she was going to faint.
Thankfully, fellow fans immediately stepped in with bottles of water, while a wonderfully kind group with spare seats lower down insisted we take them instead. It meant Marion could enjoy the concert without attempting the climb, and their generosity completely restored my faith in people. That simple act of kindness summed up the entire evening.
Despite the soaring temperatures, there was no frustration, no pushing and very little of the usual concert behaviour. Instead of thousands of people watching the show through their phone screens, people were actually present. They sang every word, danced with strangers and simply soaked up the atmosphere.
It felt like a proper family occasion. There were mums introducing daughters to the band they grew up with, grandparents bringing grandchildren and lifelong friends reliving their youth together.
And yes, because this is Take That, the queues for the ladies’ toilets were absolutely enormous. It did make me laugh that this was very much a concert for people of a certain age, but even those queues were full of laughter and chatter.
Then the lights went down. Originally staged in 2009 following the release of their chart-topping album The Circus, this new Circus Tour revisits one of the band’s most beloved eras while reimagining it on an even grander scale.
The production is breathtaking. Giant circus-inspired visuals, moving stages, dazzling lighting, pyrotechnics, acrobats and a huge mechanical elephant transformed London Stadium into a spectacular big top. Mark Owen and Howard Donald even rode unicycles across the stage, while Gary Barlow barely stopped moving for more than two hours.
By the end of the opening song, Greatest Day, all three were visibly drenched in sweat. Considering the temperatures, it was remarkable they managed to maintain such relentless energy throughout. Watching them perform, I couldn’t help reflecting on just how surreal my own journey with Take That has been.
Like millions of women growing up in the 1990s, I was completely obsessed. My bedroom walls were covered in posters, I knew every lyric and Mark Owen was my teenage crush. Never in a million years did I think I’d one day interview Gary Barlow, let alone work with him.
Years later, after interviewing him backstage at Calendar Girls, I found myself handling a press day with Gary while working on the launch of his Osiris eyewear collection. He turned out to be exactly as you’d hope, warm, funny, generous with his time and refreshingly down to earth. His entire rider consisted of tea, tea pig tea bags and water.
Life has a funny way of coming full circle. My daughter Mia, born in 2022, even shares Gary’s birthday, 20 January, exactly 51 years apart, a coincidence that always makes me smile.
As we made our way home, exhausted by the heat but still buzzing from the show, I realised this had never really been just another Take That concert.
The giant elephant, the spectacular staging and the endless stream of hits were unforgettable. But what I’ll remember most is the kindness shown to my mum Marion by complete strangers, seeing generations of families singing together without hiding behind their phones, and realising that the teenage girl who once plastered her bedroom with Take That posters had somehow grown up to work alongside one of her musical heroes.
On the hottest day of the year, with fans fainting and ambulance crews racing through the stands, Take That proved exactly why they’ve lasted for more than three decades. My teenage self would never have believed it.
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