WIAA: Alyson…, I didn’t see you posting anything new around here last weekend. Not like you.
ALYSON: I know WIAA but I was having one of the best weekends of my life and it’s taken quite a few days to come down from the high.
WIAA: Ah, that would be because of the football I suppose?
ALYSON: Not at all, although that was great too, it was because we made the trip south to Hampden Park in Glasgow for the Take That Circus Tour 2026. I can safely say it was the most amazing show (it definitely wasn’t a gig) I’ve ever seen in my life and I will most likely never see anything like it again. Everyone sharing their thoughts on social media is saying the same, and not one newspaper review has given it anything less than 5 stars.
WIAA: Wow, praise indeed Alyson. What made it so good?
ALYSON: It truly was the Greatest Day, one we’ll Never Forget and It Only Takes A Minute to buy a ticket. We needed Patience for the queues and had to Pray the sun would Shine and we wouldn’t get The Flood that was predicted, but we were lucky, and we didn’t. Sorry WIAA, I couldn’t resist.
WIAA: Ok, very funny, but again, what made it so good?
ALYSON: It’s essentially the same tour as the one back in 2009, when we were all 17 years younger, and what a spectacle. As well as the songs we love, the staging was superlative, and of course the circus performers were breath-taking in what they could do. Trapeze artists, tightrope walkers, fire-eaters, clowns, showgirls and all the razzmatazz that goes with them, over two stages and a catwalk.
WIAA: Did you take any photos?
ALYSON: I got a few but we were only about six people back from the main stage in the front standing area so I really wanted to take it all in and not via a phone. The big screens are great for those in the seats but they only show a tiny snippet of what is going on at any one time. Standing that close we could see everything. Here are a few of my own photos.
WIAA: Any specific thoughts about the show?
ALYSON: A few.
First of all, last year Oasis toured primarily for middle-aged blokes in bucket hats. This year Take That are touring for all those middle-aged ladies who have stuck with them for 34 years, through all their ups and downs. When they parted company in 1996 they were still at their peak, so at no point did the fans fall out of love with them and they were more than ready to start following them again in 2006, when they reformed.
Secondly, Take That first found fame in 1992, the year I got married to Mr WIAA and I actually bought their first album on honeymoon. I don’t think I represented their fanbase back then but I’ve always enjoyed a good pop song and I could tell they were going to be big. For the next 34 years we’ve always kept up with their careers from the big breakup in 1996 when I was on maternity leave after having DD, to watching Mark winning Celebrity Big Brother, to the documentary in 2005 that kickstarted their man-band status, to them getting back together with Robbie, to the present day and their “middle-aged man-band” status. Their songs have documented our time together as a couple and then a family.
Third, however old we get, our younger selves are still inside us. The boys may now look a bit grey and craggy when in resting face mode, but the minute they smile, their younger selves come out (especially the gorgeous Mark Owen) – same as for the audience who were grinning with joy throughout. Also, if you keep yourself fit and healthy it’s amazing what you can do even in middle-age. Howard still managed to ride a unicycle the length of the catwalk.
There isn’t any quality footage of the 2026 tour yet available online, but here is the promo video using 2009 footage that will give you an idea of what it was like (although the 2026 elephant was far superior and advances in technology mean the set for Relight My Fire was even more amazing).
WIAA: You certainly seem to have had a fantastic time Alyson but what did Mr WIAA think of it all?
ALYSON: I knew he was primarily coming because I’d never seen them live before and it was on my bucket list to do so, but he really enjoyed it all as much as I did. On the bus on the way down and arriving at the hotel he was surrounded by a sea of menopausal women, but once in the stadium there were a fair few chaps of his age as well. Since we got back, I keep catching him in the office listening to Take That songs and watching video clips of the show.
WIAA: But this is a music blog Alyson, so where is the song.
ALYSON: Indeed, I’ve shared links above but need to pick out an actual song don’t I. I’ll come to that but first I’m going to drop some more photos of the show that I’ve collected over the last few days. I know it’s not mathematically possible but in a review I would have given it 6/5 stars, and the boys gave 110% throughout. Also, nearly forgot, we had Belinda Carlisle and The Script as guest artists to warm us up for the big event. Both were exceptionally good. I’d forgotten how many hits Belinda had and Danny from The Script was great with the audience.
Hold Up A Light was the last song in the full setlist and although there were a lot fewer iPhones back in 2009 as can be seen in this clip, in 2026 we all had one (with a torch), and we held them up in the air ahead of the fireworks that ended the show. Emotional stuff.
And finally, the song that inspired the album that in turn inspired the whole shebang. The Circus – an absolute beauty.
Happy memories of a wonderful night full of nostalgia, fun and jaw-dropping performances. Thank you boys.
Until next time…
The Circus Lyrics
(Song by Gary Barlow/Howard Donald/Mark Owen/Jason Orange)
Silence please ’cause I’ve got something to say
And I’m going round in circles every day
The more I shout, the more I hesitate
Now that you’re gone
Now that you’re gone
Stand up please ’til I’m done losing my mind
And I’ve thanked you all just one too many times
The more we fall, the harder we must climb
Now that you’re gone
Now that you’re gone
‘Cause everybody loves a circus show
But I’m the only clown you’ll ever know
And now you can applaud my best mistake
I love you was too many words to say, to say
Silence please ’cause I’ve got something to say
And before the music takes you all away
I never thought I’d leave it all so late
Now that you’re gone, oh you’re gone
Yeah, everybody loves a circus show
But I’m the only clown you’ll ever know
And now you can applaud my best mistake
I love you was too many words to say
I love you was too many words to say, to say
I never thought I’d leave it all so late
Now that you’re gone, oh you’re gone
Yeah, everybody loves a circus show
But I’m the only clown you’ll ever know
And now you can applaud my best mistake
I love you was too many words to say
I love you was too many words to say, to say
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