Take That are bringing The Circus Live back to London Stadium on 26 and 27 June 2026, and if you were there for the original 2009 run, you’ll already know this is going to be something very special indeed. If you weren’t – well, you’re in for a proper treat.
Two nights at one of the UK’s biggest live venues, a show that broke UK records the first time around, support from The Script and Belinda Carlisle, and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park right on your doorstep. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of both nights – including how to spend the afternoon beforehand in genuinely brilliant fashion.
Who Are Take That?
If you need a reminder – though we’d wager you don’t – Take That are one of the most successful British pop acts ever to have graced a stage. Formed in Manchester in 1990, the group built a fanbase that has proved genuinely unstoppable across three and a half decades.
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen make up the current trio, with the group’s original lineup having also included Robbie Williams and Jason Orange. Between them they’ve racked up 12 UK number one singles – Back for Good, Never Forget, Patience, Greatest Day and a string of others that have provided the soundtrack to countless people’s lives since the early nineties.
In 2012, Forbes ranked them the fifth-highest-earning music stars in the world. Not bad for a group that started out gigging around Manchester in matching dungarees.
After splitting in 1996, reuniting without Robbie in 2006, then briefly reuniting with Robbie between 2010 and 2014, the band have long since proved that their appeal is genuinely bulletproof. Their 2008 album The Circus set the stage for one of the most talked-about live productions British pop had ever seen – and now it’s back.
What Was The Circus Live Originally?
Here’s where things get properly impressive. When The Circus Live first toured in 2009, it didn’t just sell out – it obliterated records. Over 600,000 tickets sold in under five hours, making it the fastest-selling UK tour in history at the time. More than one million fans attended across the UK and Ireland.
The production itself was spectacular: fire-breathers, stilt-walkers, clowns, acrobats, tap dancers and – the centrepiece that had audiences absolutely gobsmacked – a 30-foot-tall mechanical elephant. It wasn’t just a pop concert, it was a full theatrical event, and it remains one of the most ambitious live productions a British band has ever mounted.
The 2026 return brings the original show back to life, complete with the full production and a setlist drawn from the original run. The elephant is coming back. That’s not a metaphor.
The London Stadium Dates
Take That play London Stadium on Friday 26 June 2026 and Saturday 27 June 2026, with gates opening at 17:00 on both nights.
London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, holds up to 80,000 for concerts – the perfect home for a production that features a mechanical elephant and a cast of acrobats. Support acts: The Script and Belinda Carlisle are on the bill, which means arriving early isn’t just smart, it’s basically obligatory.
Getting to London Stadium for Take That
Stratford station is your best bet and brilliantly well connected:
- The Elizabeth line
- The Jubilee line
- The DLR
- London Overground
- National Rail
From Stratford it’s a 15-minute walk through Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to the stadium – a lovely early summer evening stroll. Leave the car at home. Road closures and very limited parking on concert days make driving genuinely not worth the hassle.
Get There Early – Make an Afternoon of It at Draughts London Stratford
With gates opening at 17:00 and the show running into the evening, you’ve got the whole afternoon to make something of. And honestly? This is the bit we’d encourage you to plan as carefully as the show itself.
We’re Draughts London Stratford at 5 Aquatics Walk, London E20 2AS – right inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, just a few minutes’ walk from London Stadium. We’re a bar, restaurant and board game café with over 1,000 games and proper food and drinks served at your table.
On Take That concert weekends, we are exactly the right place to be. Whether you’re there with a group of lifelong fans making a proper occasion of it, meeting friends you haven’t seen since the last tour, or bringing along someone who doesn’t know what they’re in for yet – Draughts is the place to land first, eat well, have a drink and play something brilliant before the main event.
Booking ahead is a must for both concert days – tables go fast when 80,000 people are heading to the stadium down the road.
Circus-Themed Board Games to Play Before the Show
Look, the show is called The Circus Live. We have circus-themed board games. This was always going to happen.
Meeple Circus – In Meeple Circus, players build their own growing circus act using tiny acrobat meeples, animals and props in a genuinely funny dexterity-based game. You’re stacking performers on each other, trying not to topple your act before the show begins. Arriving at a Take That concert having just spent an hour building a miniature circus? Absolutely correct behaviour.
Mysterium Park is the atmospheric one – and honestly, it’s a brilliant companion piece to The Circus Live for anyone who wants something a little moodier alongside the chaos.
Set in a 1950s fairground, the game begins with a mystery: the former director of Mysterium Park disappeared, the investigation went nowhere, and strange things have been happening at the fair ever since. One player takes on the role of the ghost – communicating only through gorgeously illustrated vision cards – while the rest play as psychics who must interpret the cryptic images to identify suspects and locations. It’s cooperative, it’s atmospheric, it has beautiful artwork, and you have just six nights before the carnival leaves town.
Two to six players, about 28 minutes, and a genuinely lovely pre-show game for a group who wants something with a bit more substance before heading into the stadium.
Crazy Circus is one of those games that sounds straightforward until everyone is simultaneously shouting nonsense syllables at each other and nobody quite knows what’s happening – which is, it turns out, exactly the right energy for a Take That pre-show afternoon.
It’s quick, it’s ridiculous, it’s brilliant, and it takes about thirty seconds to explain to anyone who’s never played it. For a group arriving in high spirits before a two-night Take That run, it’s absolutely the right game.
You can find Crazy Circus in our games library at Draughts – ask the team when you arrive and they’ll get you set up.
Ask the Draughts team when you arrive – they know the full 1,000+ library inside out and will point you straight to whatever fits your group perfectly.
Tips for Both Nights
- Book your Draughts table in advance. Both nights. Do it now – we mean it.
- Arrive early. Gates open at 17:00 and The Script and Belinda Carlisle are absolutely worth catching from the start.
- Make a proper weekend of it. Two consecutive nights at London Stadium is a genuine occasion – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has the ArcelorMittal Orbit (114.5m tall with a 178m slide), the Waterworks Fountains and loads of open space to enjoy between shows.
- Check bag policies on the official London Stadium website before you head in.
Frequently asked question about Take That at London Stadium
When is Take That at London Stadium?
Friday 26 June 2026 and Saturday 27 June 2026. Gates open 17:00 on both nights.
What is The Circus Live?
The revival of Take That’s record-breaking 2009 live production – 600,000 tickets sold in under five hours, over one million fans attended, and a spectacular show featuring a 30-foot mechanical elephant, acrobats, fire-breathers, tap dancers and stilt-walkers. One of the most ambitious live productions a British pop act has ever staged.
Who is supporting Take That at London Stadium?
The Script and Belinda Carlisle. Get there early.
What are the current members of Take That?
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The band originally formed in Manchester in 1990 with five members, also including Robbie Williams and Jason Orange.
How do I get to London Stadium for Take That?
Stratford station – served by the Elizabeth line, Jubilee line, DLR, London Overground and National Rail. Around a 15-minute walk through Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Public transport strongly recommended on concert days.
Where can I eat near London Stadium before the Take That concerts?
Draughts London Stratford at 5 Aquatics Walk, inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – bar, restaurant and 1,000+ board games, just a few minutes from the stadium. Book ahead.
How far is Draughts from London Stadium?
We’re inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park itself at 5 Aquatics Walk – just a few minutes’ walk from the stadium gates. The short walk through the park to the turnstiles is a lovely way to arrive.
