Roll up, roll up because the Circus Live is officially in town. Patient Take That fans are finally getting their chance to see Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald up close as the trio bring back their huge 2009 tour to the city.
Circus Live 2026 Takes Over Manchester
The Circus Live 2026 represents a spiritual comeback of their popular 2009 tour The Circus, which was praised by fans for its production values and has been hailed as the band's biggest tour ever. Since kicking off this year's inception in Southampton at the end of May, fans have been eagerly anticipating Take That's arrival in Manchester. They will play three shows at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, with the first taking place today (June 19). They will also play a fourth date on Wednesday, July 1.
Support for the tour comes from 80s legend Belinda Carlisle, performing her chart-topping anthems like Leave a Light On and Heaven is a Place On Earth. She is joined by The Script for a rocking set ahead of their own big arena tour later this year.
Fans Dress to Impress
This afternoon fans headed down to the venue early to nab a good spot and soak up the atmosphere. Merch stands attracted huge queues as gig-goers snapped up memorabilia, including the highly coveted elephant plushie at £50 a pop. Many were expected to dress up in style for the big occasion, and Take That fans did not disappoint. Donning their very best circus-themed garms, fashionistas were spotted wearing sparkles, bows, or anything that vaguely resembles a ringmaster's wardrobe.
We spotted countless bowler hats, pinstripes, and more glitter than you might expect. Fans took the circus theme and ran with it, marrying clown chic with DIY fancy dress. The now-iconic Gary Barlow line - "This is my idea of a very nice day out" - also appeared to be an unofficial dress code, printed, stitched and proudly worn across crowds like a shared in-joke.
Creative Outfits Steal the Show
Among the most crafty concertgoers were Dawn and Maxine, both from Hull, who wore entirely handmade outfits, including a pair of circus-themed jeans that took 70 hours to make. Also opting to craft part of their outfit was Lindsay Jones, who alongside mum Laura, grandma Susan Morgan and friend Charlotte Fryer, made up three generations of first-time Take That tour-goers. She made homemade sparkly bowler hats for the occasion, bedazzled with each of their initials.
Here are 28 of the best dressed Take That fans we spotted outside the Etihad today.
