Gary Barlow has opened up about his emotional struggle following the conclusion of Take That's The Circus Live tour earlier this month. The 55-year-old singer-songwriter admitted that the end of the stadium tour, a reprisal of the band's original 2009 The Circus tour, left him feeling like he had 'fallen off a cliff'.
In a candid Instagram video posted on Monday night, Barlow explained that he had found it difficult to come on camera and share his feelings. 'Hey everybody, GB here. I've been trying to make this video for a few weeks, and it's not been easy. I must say that this tour has thrown me slightly,' he began.
Post-tour blues hit hard
'Whenever we come off tour, it always feels a little bit of an anticlimax, the whole thing. But for some reason, I don't know whether it was just because it just felt so celebratory doing the circus again and it seems to have gone down so well, that it just feels like I've completely fallen off a cliff since the end of the shows,' Barlow revealed.
He added that he had been meaning to make the video for weeks but finally forced himself to do it 'because I just want to check in on everyone and make sure everyone's okay with the post-tour blues.'
The tour's significance deepened with age
Reflecting on why this tour felt different, Barlow said: 'It's a really funny one. I don't know whether it's because as the years go by and the tours become more and more important to us – or to me anyway. I'm always sad at the end of a tour, and particularly this one. I just thought it was absolutely joyous, the whole thing, and I'm fully aware of how much everybody enjoyed it.'
He acknowledged that despite initial doubts, the tour was a success: 'However, we didn't need to worry about a thing because it all went great. Everybody survived. A great time was had, and we are able to move onwards with smiles on our faces and our hearts full of happiness. It was just brilliant.'
Physical challenges of the tour
Earlier this month, Barlow admitted he was 'pretty sure this tour won't return' given it had 'been a whole other challenge doing it as a 55-year-old' and he 'just can't see a way I could physically do this show again.'
Despite the emotional toll, Barlow expressed gratitude for the band's achievements in 2026. 'What a wonderful year this has been so far, with Netflix in January and all the build-up to the first couple of releases from the new record, and then this circus tour. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you everybody that joined us and we'll see you for the next instalment, which isn't far away now.'
New music on the horizon
Barlow revealed that Take That, which also includes Mark Owen and Howard Donald, has been 'getting our heads around finishing this album up' and looks forward to playing new music for fans at the end of the year. He captioned his Instagram post: 'From the best tour ever to not quite knowing what to say – sounds about right – however I'm starting to get my head around the rest of the year and can't wait for you all to hear what's coming next.'
