take that tour uk

Plus very special guest Olly Murs

• Date 25 Apr - 1 May 2024
• Venue The O2 arena
• Availability On sale now

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Event Details

Iconic British band Take That has announced 4 shows at The O2, taking place in April 2024 on Thursday 25, Friday 26, Saturday 27, Sunday 28 May, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 1 May. 

Alongside the show announcements the band has also announced news of their ninth studio album This Life, set for release 24th November. To celebrate the news further, Take That have also unleashed their brand-new single Windows which is out now. They will be joined on the tour by very special guest, Olly Murs.

Those who pre-order new album This Life from the official store here before 10:00 on 26th September will receive a special code to access pre-sale tickets from Wednesday 27th September at 9.30am

Take That are renowned for their huge productions and incredible live shows, and currently hold the record for the most performances at London’s The O2 with 34 headline shows. 2011’s Progress tour broke box office records by selling over 1 million tickets in less than 24 hours, becoming the biggest tour in the UK and earning them a place on Billboard’s annual ‘Top 25 Tours’ list, placing third worldwide. In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the 38 date sell-out Odyssey tour which saw them play to 29 arenas and 9 stadiums, selling over 650,000 tickets.

Take That’s brand new single, Windows, out today - sees them reunite for their first original composition in over five years. Windows, is a beautiful track which tells the story of emerging from the darkness into the light. As a familiar falsetto rings out across the opening notes of Windows, it signals a new era for one of Britain’s best selling bands, Take That; an era brimming with energy, creativity and a continued desire to challenge and surprise.

The musicality of Windows hints at what listeners can expect from This Life, the band’s ninth studio album and their first since 2017’s Wonderland. Beautiful melodies, soaring choruses, sophisticated harmonies beautifully blending the trio’s voices permeate the new album, due for release on 24th November.

“It’s been a wonderful experience being back in the studio together making this record. It has that feeling of spreading your wings, letting out the old and bringing in the new” commented the band. 'We’re incredibly proud of the new album - there’s a sense of togetherness, whether that’s us coming back together as a band or people wanting connection in their own lives. We’re excited for this new chapter."

Throughout the writing and recording process, the band honed this new sound in some of music’s most hallowed halls, including New York’s Electric Lady Studios and Nashville’s Historic RCA Studio A which between them have hosted David Bowie, Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, Adele, Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers and more. Windows and upcoming album This Life continues the legacy of one of the most successful bands in British chart history, with over 45 million records sold worldwide and 12 Number 1 hits in the UK.

For a band 30+ years into their career, Take That are not standing still; constantly evolving, the future looks bright for the trio.

About Take That

Formed as a five-piece in 1989, Take That enjoyed immediate success with their first two albums charting at Number 2 and Number 1 respectively. Third album Nobody Else confirmed their global domination, selling over six million copies and topping the charts in 11 countries. The departure of band member Robbie Williams prompted a break-up in 1996 and nine years in the wilderness before the remaining four members reunited for 2005’s The Ultimate Tour. This sparked one of the greatest comebacks in British music history with Take That going on to release three Number 1 albums in just four years. Robbie’s return for 2011’s Progress saw them break UK records for the fastest-selling album of the 21st century and fastest-selling tour of all time. Williams’ second departure, along with that of Jason Orange, left the remaining three members to release III and 2017’s Wonderland, which were certified platinum and gold respectively.

The band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the release of Odyssey in 2018, a greatest hits album of beautifully re-imagined versions of some of the biggest tracks from their three-decade-spanning career. The album entered the charts at Number 1 and was closely followed by a critically acclaimed UK and European stadium and arena tour in 2019.

Important Information - How to download your tickets on The O2 app

For this show, if you’ve purchased your tickets from theo2.co.uk or AXS.com you’ll need to display your ticket on your phone via The O2 app. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with news and information on  AXS Mobile ID tickets  and how you can download your tickets to your phone. 

If you’ve bought your tickets for this show via AXS then you can re-sell your tickets with AXS Official Resale   which gives you a safe, simple, and fair way to buy and sell tickets.

For more information on re-selling tickets from AXS and other ticket agents  click here .  

Please note:  If you purchase  resale   tickets for this show through any website other than via theo2.co.uk or axs.com, your tickets may not be valid and access to the venue could be refused.

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Culture | Music

When are Take That on stage at London's O2 and what is their setlist?

If you're a Take That fan, you'll be pleased to know that they have officially returned to arenas around the UK. 

Following the release of their ninth studio album This Life, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald have kicked off their UK and Ireland tour .

They've already played in Sheffield, Leeds and Dublin, but there's still an opportunity to catch them over six nights at the O2 here in London .

Take That are known for their party anthems such as Do What U Like and famous ballads such as A Million Love Songs and Back for Good. Formed in Manchester back in 1990, the band have received eight Brit Awards , have had 56 number-one singles and 42 number-one albums. The band’s original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams, but the group currently consists of Barlow, Owen, and Donald.

When are Take That playing in London?

Take That will be hitting the stage at the O2 on the following dates:

Thursday, April 25

Friday, April 26

Saturday, April 27

Sunday, April 28

Tuesday, April 30 

Wednesday, May 1

What time are they on stage?

Take That should be on stage some time between 8.30pm and 9pm. On April 28, expect a slightly earlier start time, as the curfew and doors are both earlier. 

What is their setlist?

There official set list hasn't yet been confirmed, but here's what it could look like based on a recent show in Leeds, according to Setlist.fm. And don't worry, it features favourites like Rule the World and the iconic Relight My Fire.

Keep Your Head Up

Days I Hate Myself

Everything Changes

A Million Love Songs

I Found Heaven

Forever Love

Speak Without Words

Get Ready for It

March of the Hopeful

The Champion

Greatest Day

Time and Time Again

Relight My Fire

One More Word

Hold Up a Light

Back for Good

Never Forget

Rule the World

Who are the support acts?

They will be joined on stage by special guest Olly Murs.

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Take That This Life On Tour at London's O2 Arena timings, support act and tickets

24 April 2024, 16:16 | Updated: 24 April 2024, 16:58

By Zoe Adams

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are bringing the This Life On Tour to London - here's all the important details including when it starts and how long it lasts.

Listen to this article

Take That sent fans wild last year when they confirmed they would be taking their new album, This Life on tour for 2024.

Taking to stages across the UK, including Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester and of course, London, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are bringing their biggest and best hits to their setlist for their fans.

Having started the tour at the beginning of April, Take That are now due to hit the famous London O2 Arena for six nights with a show that will please fans of their new music , as well as their old classics including 'Relight My Fire', 'Hold Up a Light', and 'Back For Good'.

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So if you're heading to the This Life On Tour in London and need to know more, here's all the details including timings, who the support act is and whether tickets are still available.

When are Take That playing London's O2 arena?

The band, who formed in 1990, began their latest tour in April 2024 and are now officially taking their set to London for a total of six nights.

Take That will be performing at London's O2 arena on the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th and 30th April along with the 1st of May too.

They will then be heading to Glasgow for the next leg of their tour.

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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Take That (@takethat)

What time does Take That's This Life On Tour start and how long does it last?

Doors will open to Take That concert goers from 6:30pm each night except from April 28th when they open at 6pm.

Exact times of when the band actually hit the stage haven't been confirmed but judging by recent performances you can expect them to be on stage between 8:30pm and 9pm.

As the doors open slightly earlier on the 28th, you can expect the show to start earlier too.

Again, no finish time is exact, but Take That should be done with their incredible tunes around 11pm.

Who is Take That's support act in London?

Supporting the band throughout the UK and Ireland tour is Olly Murs himself. He is expected on stage around 7.25pm.

Olly has also just welcomed his first daughter into the world with wife Amelia making tour life very busy.

What's the This Life On Tour setlist?

Songs and performances can change from venue to venue, however, the Take That guys have stuck to this setlist for previous nights so far:

• Keep Your Head Up
• Days I Hate Myself
• Everything Changes
• A Million Love Songs
• I Found Heaven
• Forever Love
• Speak Without Words
• Get Ready For It
• March of the Hopeful
• The Champion
• Greatest Day
• Time and Time Again
• Relight My Fire
• One More Word
• Hold Up a Light
• Back for Good
• Never Forget
• Rule the World

Can you still get tickets to Take That's This Life On Tour in London?

You're in luck, as despite the huge demand for tickets, Ticketmaster is still saying there is availability for tickets, although very limited.

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Plus very special guest Olly Murs

• Date Apr 17 - 20 , 2024
• Doors Open 6.00PM
• On Sale On Sale Now

Event Details

One of the UK’s most successful bands, Take That, have today announced their return with a huge stadium and arena live tour for 2024 alongside news of their ninth studio album This Life , set for release 24 th November. To celebrate the news further, Take That have also unleashed their brand-new single Windows which is out NOW!

This Life On Tour will see the trio - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald – play 29 dates across 15 cities around the UK and Ireland. They will be joined on the tour by very special guest, Olly Murs.  

Three UK mobile network customers will be have access to an exclusive pre-sale tickets from Wednesday 27th September at 9.30am  via the Three+ rewards app.

The Three+ app is free to download for Three customers to enjoy the latest rewards and a few extra plusses in life. The app is available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now, plus Huawei EMUI 11.  For more information please visit  https://www.three.co.uk/threeplus

Take That are renowned for their huge productions and incredible live shows, and currently hold the record for the most performances at London’s The O2 with 34 headline shows. 2011’s Progress tour broke box office records by selling over 1 million tickets in less than 24 hours, becoming the biggest tour in the UK and earning them a place on Billboard’s annual ‘Top 25 Tours’ list, placing third worldwide. In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the 38 date sell-out Odyssey tour which saw them play to 29 arenas and 9 stadiums, selling over 650,000 tickets. 

Take That’s brand new single, Windows , out today - sees them reunite for their first original composition in over five years.  Windows , is a beautiful track which tells the story of emerging from the darkness into the light.  As a familiar falsetto rings out across the opening notes of Windows , it signals a new era for one of Britain’s best selling bands, Take That ; an era brimming with energy, creativity and a continued desire to challenge and surprise.

The musicality of Windows hints at what listeners can expect from This Life , the band’s ninth studio album and their first since 2017’s Wonderland . Beautiful melodies, soaring choruses, sophisticated harmonies beautifully blending the trio’s voices permeate the new album, due for release on 24th November.

“It’s been a wonderful experience being back in the studio together making this record. It has that feeling of spreading your wings, letting out the old and bringing in the new” commented the band. 'We’re incredibly proud of the new album - there’s a sense of togetherness, whether that’s us coming back together as a band or people wanting connection in their own lives.  We’re excited for this new chapter!”

Throughout the writing and recording process, the band honed this new sound in some of music’s most hallowed halls, including New York’s Electric Lady Studios and Nashville’s Historic RCA Studio A which between them have hosted David Bowie, Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, Adele, Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers and more.

Important show information:

Doors: 6:00pm

Show Starts: 7.25pm

Accessible parking bays are not available on Elmwood Close due to a road closure from Mon 15th Apr - Sunday 21st Apr.  Alternative spaces are available on Lovel Park Road, Tower House St, Jacob Street or in surrounding carparks; Woodhouse Lane and CitiPark Merrion Centre.

UPCOMING EVENT

Take That | Saturday 8th June

Ashton Gate Stadium

Take That will return to Ashton Gate on Saturday, June 8th and June 9th 2024 as part of a huge stadium and arena live tour to celebrate the release of their ninth studio album, This Life.

One of the UK’s most successful bands, Take That last performed in Bristol as part of the 2019 Summer Series at Ashton Gate, mesmerising a 30,000-strong audience with an exhilarating and jaw-dropping set of their greatest hits.

This Life On Tour will see the trio – Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald – play across 15 cities around the UK and Ireland. They will be joined on the tour by very special guest, Olly Murs.

Hospitality can be booked online for Saturday June 8th 2024  HERE  and Sunday June 9th  HERE .

We are pleased to be able to offer you the opportunity to book the following packages:

Full payment will be required at the time of booking and will be non-refundable and non-transferable, price includes VAT.

Tickets available via  www.gigsandtours.com ,  www.ticketmaster.co.uk ,  www.takethat.com .

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Take That at London’s O2 Arena: timings, tickets and everything you need to know

‘This Life On Tour‘ is coming to London for six whole nights – and there are still tickets up for grabs

If your idea of a very nice day (or night) out is watching a veteran boyband dust off their choreography, belt out their biggest hits and sport matching all-pink suits, you’re in luck – Take That have officially returned to arenas around the UK . 

Following the release of their ninth studio album This Life, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald (sorry, no Jason or Robbie this time) have kicked off their UK and Ireland tour. Having already stopped by Sheffield, Leeds and Dublin, they’ll be  playing a very generous six nights at the O2 here in London.

Heading to one of Take That’s London shows? From the start times to a potential setlist,  here’s everything you need to know about ‘This Life On Tour’ at the O2. 

When are Take That playing London’s O2?

Take That will be putting on shows at the O2 on  Thursday April 25 , Friday April 26, Saturday April 27 , Sunday April 28 , Tuesday April 30  and Wednesday May 1 .

What time do doors open?

Doors will open at 6.30pm each night apart from on April 28, when they’ll open at 6pm. 

What time will Take That come on stage?

If it goes anything like the dates played so far, Take That fans can expect the band to take to the stage some time between 8.30pm and 9pm . Expect a slightly earlier start time on April 28, as the curfew and doors are both earlier. 

Who is supporting the band?

None other than Olly Murs. He’ll likely appear on stage around 7.25pm. 

Has the setlist been confirmed?

A setlist for the London shows hasn’t been officially confirmed but we can get an idea of what it will look like based on a recent show in Leeds. According to Setlist.fm, it went something like this: 

• Keep Your Head Up
• Days I Hate Myself
• Everything Changes
• A Million Love Songs
• I Found Heaven
• Forever Love
• Speak Without Words
• Get Ready for It
• March of the Hopeful
• The Champion
• Greatest Day
• Time and Time Again
• Relight My Fire
• One More Word
• Hold Up a Light
• Back for Good
• Never Forget
• Rule the World

Can you still get tickets to see Take That in London?

You absolutely can. According to Ticketmaster there is still some ticket availability for each night. Check for tickets here . 

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Take That tour dates 2024 - full list, ticket prices and new dates added

The boys are back for an epic run of shows in 2024 - here's the full list of where they're heading, ticket prices and more

• 11:34, 27 SEP 2023
• Updated 09:41, 4 OCT 2023

Take That sparked a fan frenzy after they announced a huge new UK and Ireland tour in 2024. The Manchester-formed band announced the tour news amid a new single and new album coming out too.

The tour will start in Sheffield in April 2024 before heading out across the UK and Ireland witha slew of dates. It will include an extraordinary Manchester homecoming - with a week-long residency at the brand new Co-Op Live arena next to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium in May as well as a new date added for June.

The band - whose current line-up is Howard Donald, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen - will also be joined by special guest Olly Murs as the main support act across the tour. It will be called Take That This Life On Tour 2024 , a nod to the band's brand new album which will be released on November 24.

Read more: Take That logo lights up Manchester Co-op Live Arena - and fans are already going wild Read more: Simply Red announces 40th anniversary show at Co-op Live

Fans who pre-order their new album This Life from the official store here before 10am on 26 September received a special code to access pre-sale tickets from Wednesday, 27 September at 9.30am. Tickets will go on general Friday 29th September at 9.30am from Ticketmaster here and also See Tickets here .

Here's the full list of the newly-announced Take That tour - plus all the NEW dates added this week, and further info on how to get tickets. There are now SEVEN dates at Manchester's brand new Co-Op Live Stadium in May and June, while the band become the first EVER to play four nights at Leeds' First Direct Arena.

Full list of Take That 2024 tour dates

Saturday 13 April Sheffield Utilita Arena

Sunday 14 April Sheffield Utilita Arena

Wednesday 17 April Leeds First Direct Arena - NEW DATE

Thursday 18 April Leeds First Direct Arena - NEW DATE

Friday 19 April Leeds First Direct Arena

Saturday 20 April Leeds First Direct Arena

Monday 22 April Dublin 3Arena

Tuesday 23 April Dublin 3Arena

Thursday 25 April London The O2

Friday 26 April London The O2

Saturday 27 April London The O2

Sunday 26 April London The O2 - NEW DATE

Tuesday 30 April London The O2

Wednesday 01 May London The O2 - NEW DATE

Friday 03 May Glasgow OVO Hydro

Saturday 04 May Glasgow OVO Hydro

Sunday 05 May Glasgow OVO Hydro

Tuesday 07 May Manchester Co-op Live

Wednesday 08 May Manchester Co-op Live

Friday 10 May Manchester Co-op Live

Saturday 11 May Manchester Co-op Live

Sunday 12 May Manchester Co-Op Live - NEW DATE

Tuesday 14 May Birmingham Utilita Arena

Wednesday 15 May Birmingham Utilita Arena

Friday 17 May Birmingham Utilita Arena

Saturday 18 May Birmingham Utilita Arena

Sunday 19 May Birmingham Utilita Arena - NEW DATE

Monday 20 May Birmingham Utilita Arena - NEW DATE

Friday 24 May Middlesbrough Riverside Stadium

Saturday 25 May Nottingham The City Ground Stadium - NEW DATE

Sunday 26 May Nottingham The City Ground Stadium

Tuesday 28 May Norwich Carrow Road Stadium

Thursday 30 May Milton Keynes Stadium MK

Saturday 01 June Southampton St Mary’s Stadium

Sunday 02 June Southampton St Mary's Stadium - NEW DATE

Tuesday 04 June Plymouth Home Park Stadium

Thursday 06 June Swansea Swansea.com Stadium

Saturday 08 June Bristol Ashton Gate Stadium

Sunday 09 June Bristol Ashton Gate Stadium - NEW DATE

Tuesday 11 June Manchester Co-Op Live - NEW DATE

Wednesday 12 June Manchester Co-Op Live - NEW DATE

How to get tickets and pre-sale info

There is a way to get pre-sale tickets for this tour, and currently that will be for those who pre-order new album This Life from the official store here before 10am on Tuesday, 26 September. Those who pre-order the album will receive a special code to access pre-sale tickets from Wednesday, 27 September at 9.30am.

Then tickets will go on general Friday 29 September at 9.30am from Ticketmaster here and also See Tickets here .

How much are tickets?

It has been confirmed that tickets for UK dates will start from £60 plus booking fees - although be warned they are likely to be higher that depending on which seats/packages you go for. Tickets for Ireland from €78.25 including booking fee & venue facility fee.

During the pre-sale in Wednesday, 27 September, standard pre-sale tickets were available from £70 up to £132.50 including booking fees, with a bundle available including a CD of the forthcoming album for £142.50 on Ticketmaster and See Tickets . However, a premium seat package, which included a 'top priced' floor seated ticket alongside an exclusive merchandise bundle including a signed A4 print, tote bag and laminate, was being sold for £255 a ticket.

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Take That's 'This Life on Tour' has now started 🙌

Tickets are still on sale

Take That 's 'This Life on Tour' has now started, after beginning their tour in Sheffield on 13th April, they are now travelling the length and breadth of the UK, taking in dates such as London, Glasgow, Southampton, Swansea and of course Manchester.

The band have now taken to Instagram to share some stunning pics from their tour, writing: 'Thank you to our incredible audience in Sheffield last night for setting alight the This Life tour, what a way to kick this off. We go again tonight! 🔥'.

When did Take That announce their tour?

The band announced their 2024 tour back in September 2023, later adding some extra dates due to high demand.

On 4th October, Take That took to their socials to announce the extra dates, telling their fans: 'Your response to the tour has been nothing short of incredible - so we're adding a further two more shows in Birmingham and Manchester! Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9:30am BST at the link in our bio!'.

On the day that the tour went on sale, the band, along with support act Olly Murs, took to their socials. Gary Barlow told their fans: "Hello everybody, Take That here with Olly Murs! 'This Life on Tour' is on right sale now!"

The group announced their tour on 22nd September 2023, when they wrote on social media: 'We're extremely excited to announce that we are going on a tour of the UK & Ireland in 2024! 💙 Tickets go on general sale Friday 29th September at 9:30 AM but you can get pre-sale access by pre-ordering our brand-new album ‘This Life’ from the official Take That UK store before 10:00 AM on Tuesday 26th September.' (sic)

The band, who have also announced their ninth studio album ‘This Life’ said of working together: “It’s been a wonderful experience being back in the studio together making this record. It has that feeling of spreading your wings, letting out the old and bringing in the new.

“We’re incredibly proud of the new album - there’s a sense of togetherness, whether that’s us coming back together as a band or people wanting connection in their own lives. We’re excited for this new chapter!”

When are Take That on tour?

Take That have announced a lot of dates for their tour coming up next year. Take a look at the full list below, starting with two nights in Sheffield, before continuing their tour across the UK with arena shows, and a series of outdoor stadium shows in the summer.

Arena Shows Spring 2024

Sheffield, Utilita Arena - Sat 13th

Sheffield, Utilita Arena - Sun 14th

Leeds, First Direct Arena - Thu 18th

Leeds, First Direct Arena - Fri 19th

Leeds, First Direct Arena - Sat 20th

London, The O2 - Thu 25th

London, The O2 - Fri 26th

London, The O2 - Sat 27th

London, The O2 - Sun 28th

London, The O2 - Tue 30th

London, The O2 - Wed 1st

Glasgow, OVO Hydro – Fri 3rd

Glasgow, OVO Hydro - Sat 4th

Glasgow, OVO Hydro - Sun 5th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Tue 7th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Wed 8th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Fri 10th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Sat 11th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Sun 12th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena - Tue 14th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena - Wed 15th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena - Fri 17th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena – Sat 18th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena – Sun 19th

Birmingham, Utilita Arena – Mon 20th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Tue 11th

Manchester, Co Op Live - Wed 12th

Outdoor Stadium Shows Summer 2024

Middlesbrough, Riverside Stadium - Fri 24th

Nottingham, The City Ground Stadium - Sat 25th

Nottingham, The City Ground Stadium - Sun 26th

Norwich, Carrow Road Stadium – Tue 28th

Milton Keynes, Stadium MK - Thu 30th

Southampton, St Mary’s Stadium – Sat 1st

Southampton, St Mary’s Stadium – Sun 2nd

Plymouth, Home Park Stadium - Tue 4th

Swansea, Swansea.com Stadium – Thu 6th

Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium - Sat 8th

Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium - Sun 9th

How to buy tickets for Take That:

You can buy tickets to see Take That on tour from Aloud.com. Tickets for the new dates in Birmingham and Manchester are now on sale.

Who will be supporting Take That on tour?

Olly Murs will be joining Take That on tour in 2024.

Recently the band surprised Lulu's fans when she appeared on stage with her at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, and were joined by Take That to perform their Number 1 hit 'Relight My Fire'. The band have also recently announced a full weekend festival , including two headline performances by the trio.

Take a look through Take That’s incredible career:

Starting with a line-up of five young men, Take That consisted of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams, with the original (short lived) name of Kick It.

Take That's original line-up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Thankfully they changed their name and after a few unsuccessful songs in the early 90s Take That's breakthrough hit 'It Only Takes A Minute' was released. The song was a cover of a 1975 song by Taveres and reached number 7 in the charts.

In 1992 Take That had hits with 'A Million Love Songs' and 'Could It Be Magic'. The boys' follow-up single 'Could It Be Magic' quickly propelled them to super-stardom with a string of number 1s not far away.

Take That had huge success in 1993 with 'Pray', 'Relight My Fire' (featuring Lulu) and 'Babe'.

The band's success continued in 1994 with 'Everything Changes' and 'Sure'. Here they are performing at The BRITs 1994.

However, in July 1995 after countless hits, fans heard the devastating news; Robbie Williams would be leaving the band following friction with other band members. Robbie later admitted in a TV documentary in 2005, that he did some "stupid stuff" after parting ways with the band over 20 years ago, but said he didn't regret it because he was young.

The remaining members of Take That continued to perform as a quartet.

Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange performed at The BRITs in 1996. The remaining group of four continued to tour and release songs for another year, releasing 'Never Forget' and the Bee Gees cover 'How Deep Is Your Love', finally announcing they would be disbanding in February 1996. 'How Deep Is Your Love' became the band's final number 1 before they reformed 10 years later.

Late 90's

During the late 90s three of the band members, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams, enjoyed solo singing careers with varying degrees of success. Jason Orange went into acting and Howard Donald, despite being the lead singer on a number of Take That songs, made a name for himself as a club DJ across Europe.

Skip nearly a decade and ITV reunited the group for a documentary called Take That: For the Record in which the former members of the boyband were interviewed, discussing how they were discovered and looking back at their experiences in the band.

Following the successful reception of the documentary by fans and the press, the decision was made to reunite with the 'post Robbie' line-up and a 2006 tour titled the 'The Ultimate Tour' was announced. After a break of nearly 10 years, Take That members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange reformed in 2005.

Take That performed on The X Factor in 2006. In 2006 they had a Number 1 single with 'Patience'. Gone were the cheesy pop tunes of the 90s, Take That had grown up with their fans and the men, now in their 30s revealed a much more mature sound, with their 2006 comeback single 'Patience'. The song quickly hit the top spot in the UK and around Europe becoming the eighth best-selling single of 2006 spending a massive 11 weeks in the top 10.

In 2007 Take That embarked on their 'Beautiful World' tour. Since their reunion as a four-piece, it was clear that they hadn't lost the momentum they had in the 90s with another string of hits including 'Shine', 'Rule the World' and 'Greatest Day'.

After the release of fifth album 'The Circus' in December 2008, the boys headed out on their 'Take That Present: The Circus Live' tour to promote it - and what a spectacle it was! Tickets to the entire tour sold it in less than five hours, making it the fastest-selling tour in UK history.

Robbie Williams made an unexpected return to the group in 2010, joining forces with Gary Barlow - the first time since 1995 - writing a song that would feature on both Take That and Robbie's albums. Then, later that year, the news that all Take That fans had been waiting for was confirmed, the original line-up would be reforming for the wildly successful album, 'Progress' and its live tour. Their lead single 'The Flood' was released and peaked at number 2 featuring both Gary and Robbie as lead vocals.

Following the band's 'Progress Live' tour in 2011 they then decided to take a break.

A couple of years later Take That reformed as a group to record their seventh studio album, but it was short-lived, in 2014 both Robbie and Jason decided to leave. Robbie had recently become a dad for the second time and saying he would find it difficult "logistically". The band continued as a trio made up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen.

Take That returned earlier this year with their new album 'Wonderland' and their single 'Giants' which peaked at number 13. 'Giants' was written by the remaining three members of Take That along with some co-writers and the lyric video can be seen below.

After celebrating Take That's 30th anniversary in 2019, the band put out a Greatest Hits album called 'Odyssey', which featured song "re-imagined with new arrangements and production". It debuted at Number 1, and the group embarked on a huge UK tour in 2019.

Take That reunited with former member Robbie Williams for a very special performance in May 2020 during the lockdown amid the global pandemic of Coronavirus, performing a 40-minute set.

The band's musical film Greatest Day was confirmed in June 2020! Although it had been in the pipeline for a couple of years, things started to get in motion in the summer, which is based on the jukebox musical The Band, containing Take That songs.

November 2020

Gary released his fifth solo studio album on 27th November, 'Music Played By Humans', which debuted at Number 1 in the UK! It features singles 'Elita' featuring Michael Bublé and Sebastián Yatra, 'Incredible' and 'This Is My Time'. Other album tracks feature vocals from the likes of Beverley Knight, Alesha Dixon and James Corden among others.

On 7th October 2021, Gary surprised fans with the announcement that he was launching his own wine company. He shared photos from his new company Gary Barlow Wines on his social media.

In October 2021, Gary announced his first Christmas album 'The Dream Of Christmas' would come out on 26th November. The album includes new songs like 'How Christmas Is Supposed To Be' as well as Gary's take on some classic tunes. 'Sleigh Ride' and 'The Dream Of Christmas' were released on 28th October ahead of the album.

In January 2022, Gary Barlow announced he would be putting on a theatre performance show called ' A Different Stage ', with dates being added throughout the year.

2022: Take That attend the Cannes Film Festival

Howard Donald, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen attend the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France in support of Greatest Days, the musical movie inspired by Take That, featuring their songs.

2022: Mark Owen teases future plans

Mark told PA that he, Gary and Howard had been working remotely to make music for their ninth album , adding that a tour could follow suit: "We have been talking. We have got a movie coming out next year. And we have been talking obviously about a new record and when that will be and what kind of thing that will be. "So those kinds of conversations are open and always a part of the background. It is always there in my head. I am always thinking."

2023: Take That performed at the Coronation Concert

Gary, Howard and Mark performed at Windsor Castle as part of the Coronation Concert on 7th May 2023. According to a press release, former members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange were offered the opportunity to reunite with the band for the occasion, however they did not appear during the concert. Speaking about the performance, the current line-up of Take That said: "This will be our first live show since the 'Odyssey' Tour, four years ago in 2019, and what a stage to come back on. A huge live band and orchestra, a choir, military drummers, the backdrop of Windsor Castle and the celebration of a new King. We can't wait." Taking to Twitter to share footage of their performance following the concert, Take That later assured fans that there will be more to come from the group. The band wrote: 'It was incredible to perform live together again for the first time in 4 years and there is so much more to come. We're back for good.'

2023: Take That documentary

On 14th June a Take That documentary called 30 Years in The Making was released on ITVX. The documentary is designed to accompany the musical film Greatest Days, which was in cinemas from 16th June.

2023: Take That announce tour and release ninth album

Take That released their ninth studio album called 'This Life' on 24th November. They have also announced a tour in support of the album for 2024.

2024: Take That release new single 'You and Me'

At the end of March 2024, Take That released a brand new single called 'You and Me' to celebrate their upcoming 'This Life on Tour' shows.

2024: Take That announce 'The Greatest Weekend' festival

Take That have announced a special four-day event called 'The Greatest Weekend', which will take place in Malta in October 2024. The event will include two performances from the band, in addition to appearances from special guests, a pool party and nightclub events. Fellow artists on the line-up include Sugababes, Ella Henderson, Sam Ryder, Daniel Beddingfield and Heather Small, with more to be announced.

2024: Take That join Lulu on tour in Manchester

Surprising fans, Take That joined Lulu while she was on tour in Manchester, on her 'Champagne For Lulu' tour. They performed their 1993 hit 'Relight My Fire'.

You can hear songs by Take That on Magic

Take That confirm their ninth album is called 'This Life'

Take That: Everything you need to know about the 90s heartthrobs

25 facts you probably didn't know about Take That

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Take That (formed in 1990) is the most successful English boy band in UK chart history, specialising in their own style of pop balladry, the band hails from Manchester, England.

Band manager Nigel Martin-Smith in 1989 had a vision to create a youthful and highly appealing male singing group based on New Kids on the Block. Introduced to young singer Gary Barlow, Martin-Smith decided to design the group around Barlow’s talents, subsequently inviting Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and 16-year-old Robbie Williams. Originally performing under the moniker Kick It, Take That’s breakthrough came with a cover of the Tavares hit “It Only Takes a Minute”, followed by “I Found Heaven” and “A Million Love Songs”. Take That later released the album “Take That & Party” in 1992 which featured all of the hit singles theretofore released.

In 1993 the band released their second full-length album “Everything Changes” garnering generous amounts of popular appeal. The album peaked at No.1 and spawned six singles including “Pray”, “Relight My Fire” and “Babe”. Nominated for the Mercury prize the band saw some international esteem however wasn’t enough to break into the U.S. market.

On the wake of Take That’s third studio album “Nobody Else”, Robbie Williams came under some criticism from other band members for his drug use and was offered an ultimatum: sort himself out or hit the road. Williams chose the latter and Take That embarked on their first worldwide tour and released the album “Nobody Else” in America with Williams removed.

Sensing an opportunity to continue his solo careers in the shadow of artists like Elton John an George Michael, Gary Barlow and the group disbanded in 1996. Barlow’s debut solo single reached the No. 2 spot in the UK chart and Mark Owen began working on a solo album influenced by Paul Weller and Radiohead. In 1997 Robbie issued his solo album “Life Thru a Lens” which topped the charts as did his sophomore release “I’ve Been Expecting You” a year later.

In 2005 a new compilation of Take That hits “Never Forget - The Ultimate Collection” arrived which led to an ITV documentary where the band discussed things past. In late 2005 the post-Williams line-up announced they would tour around the UK in 2006 and released the album “Beautiful World”. The album shot straight to the No. 1 spot, sold over 2.8 million copies and is the UK’s 25th best selling album in chart history. The album was led by the single “Patience” which hit the No. 1 spot, the group’s ninth single to do so.

In 2008 Take That released their new single “Greatest Day” ahead of their fifth studio album “The Circus”. Like its predecessors the album broke many records and earned many awards, afterwards the band embarked on their Take That Present - The Circus Tour Live”.

Robbie Williams returned in 2010 with the single written by both Barlow and Williams entitled “Shame”. Subsequently the band released the single “The Flood” ahead of the group’s 2010 album “Progress”. In 2014 the group released the album “III” led by the No. 1 single “These Days".

Live reviews

Take That was A M A Z I N G! We had seats in Block 420, Row C, and had the BEST view we've ever had at the O2! The support band, All Saints, were quite good and a great introduction to how the stage in the middle worked and what our view would be like for the main act. We found by watching them that Take That wouldn't be little ants like we thought they would, we could in fact see them clearly. I cannot fault the start of the main act as it was just so good. The visuals were superb, and my mind was blown as I watched. As someone who is a die hard Take That fan and loves all of the new songs as well as the old, I stood up for nearly every song and got goosebumps all the time. The visuals again, throughout, were especailly good in the songs Giants, relight my fire and shine. Take That also did a medley of old or obscure songs in the middle, which was amazing for me, even though I was the only one standing up in Block 420! Their new dance song called 'Cry' really got the crowd hyped, as it was amazing to witness. Never forget and rule the world were beautiful, with phone flashlights illuminating the whole arena.

I also cannot fault the secruity, as it was like being in an airport and I felt very safe. However, we had to go to level 1 to get chips as there is not much vareity on level 4 and we do not like going to a big resturant on the ground floor before a concert.

My favourite songs live were: Cry, Shine, wonderland, it's all for you and rule the world.

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Back in 2011 Take That played a stint of gigs at London’s Wembley Stadium. They were certainly impressive shows. Since their 2005 comeback the English pop group (it no longer seems fitting to describe them as a boy band) have been famed for the dramatic scale of their arena performances.

Take That drew upon their by-now vast repertoire of work. They had released no less than three studio albums since their much-anticipated comeback n 2005. Of course, the latest album and tour had been particularly exciting because it marked the belated return of Robbie Williams. The largely female crowd was an excitable screaming mass throughout the evening, letting out deafening yells, whoops and screams as the Take That four-piece opened with ‘Rule the World.’ Five songs later, Robbie Williams took to the stage to perform five of his own solo tracks. And then it was time for what we were all waiting for. THE ORIGINAL TAKE THAT LINE-UP PERFORMING TOGETHER. They began with ‘The Flood,’ the leading single of their 2010 album, ‘Progress’. Soon the reunited five-piece were transporting us back to the nineties with a fine rendition of ‘Want You Back’. Take That delivered an impressive spectacle of a performance. And with an encore featuring ‘Relight My Fire’ it would have been difficult to please their audience any more!

A nation went into mourning when boyband Take That announced their breakup in the mid 90s. However they delighted the devoted fanbase announcing a reunion in 2006 as they reappeared as a more mature, grown up band with a new approach to pop music. The tours have also changed with age, there and no more cheesy dance routines of the 90s videos and instead they have been replaced with more considered, sophisticated production values.

The fully reformed lineup took to Wembley stadium to delight fans with a barrage of dancers, lights, video interludes and an infamous illuminating elephant. With so much to focus on, you could review a Take That show without having to mention the incredible track list which includes mega-hits such as 'Relight My Fire' 'Never Forget' and 'Could It Be Magic'. The original reformed four piece also perform modern hit singles including 'Rule the World' and 'Patience' before Robbie arrives to play a number of his solo tracks including 'Rock DJ'. This show really is a masterclass in pop majesty.

What an absolutely wonderful time we had at Take That's Thursday night concert at Take That Arena.

Rick Astley was brilliant a trip right back to the 80s. I'd quite forgotten how many hits there were. Then bang up to date with some of his contemporary work. Great voice great music!!!

Then the boys landed!!!

The set and special effects were incredible. The lads worked so hard for over 2 hours and treated us to a catalogue of hits and routines from their previous tours. Even the outfits were authentic.

It was so fantastic to see such a show and be able to sing along to of the music.

Very hoarse today !

And a final surprise guest Lulu.

The little pocket rocket with the huge voice. Hasn't lost any of it!!

If you get the chance to see the tour my advise just do it.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary in style xxxxxx

I am a heavy metal fan who goes along with his wife to Take That concerts. Joy!

To be honest, Joy is the correct word to use. Take That always put on an excellent show and even thought it is so different from let’s say the upcoming Rammstein concert at the same venue I am so looking forward too in July, these guys show is exciting and so well presented that I found myself bopping like a 16 year old kid out on the kip for his first conquest. Loved it. I would say that of the 5 TT tours I have been to, this one rates second after the Circus show at Wembley all those years ago.

Well done lads. Loved it!

Yet again, a fantastic show. Take That never fail to entertain. They sounded fabulous, the stage was a masterpiece and Lulu was amazing! Rick Astley was the perfect set-up for the boys, getting everyone dancing and singing. The crowd were all in good spirits with everyone being friendly and polite to each other. It was an amazing tribute to the past 30 years with a real mixture of old and new songs. The guys may be 30 years older now but they ooze energy! Certainly my favourite gig since The Circus tour in 2009!!

The concert was stunning and amazing *-*

It was huge, even it was only the 'little' show of them.

Me and my friend both got a plec from Kevin, the best tour manager ever! And we never thought that Howard, Mark and Gary would look at us that much! All three of them looked at us several times and grinned when we grinned or laughed or winked or what ever. We botj saw that they have really much fun with that what they do! :)

This concert was just awesome! <3

Thank you for the great night! <3

Fabulous show!!. A million costume changes,loads of stage props and pyrotechnics fireworks ldancing girls and flames. All the hits were covered and appeared I went. Rick Astley is still as fab as he ever was though he did say" I'm 53 and knackered" lol. Surprise guest was Lulu . "Rule the world" a little tear ran down my face. All had our torches on and my dad's dear face on my phone was lit up like he was there. The stars are coming out tonight...for you Dad. He'd have loved it ❤

The concert was brilliant. Was so excited to see the boys, particularly Gary

The performances got everyone on their feet and the crowd were well behaved.Take That was fantastic as usual.

Cant wait for their next future concert.

Would love to see Gary at a forthcoming live shows of his own, would like to be inform whenever this happen or to win tickets

Lovely person.

The concert was brilliant. Was so excited to see the boys, particularly Gary.

The performances got everyone on their feet and the crowd were well behaved. Take That was fantastic as usual.

Would love to see Gary at his own forthcoming live show, would like to be informed whenever this happen or to win tickets.

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One of the UK’s most successful bands, Take That, have announced their return with a huge stadium and arena live tour for 2024 alongside news of their ninth studio album This Life, set for release 24th November. To celebrate the news further, Take That have also unleashed their brand-new single Windows which is out NOW!

This Life On Tour will see the trio - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald – play 29 dates across 15 cities around the UK and Ireland, coming to Utilita Arena Birmingham in May 2024. They will be joined on the tour by very special guest, Olly Murs.

Take That are renowned for their huge productions and incredible live shows, and currently hold the record for the most performances at London’s The O2 with 34 headline shows. 2011’s Progress tour broke box office records by selling over 1 million tickets in less than 24 hours, becoming the biggest tour in the UK and earning them a place on Billboard’s annual ‘Top 25 Tours’ list, placing third worldwide. In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the 38 date sell-out Odyssey tour which saw them play to 29 arenas and 9 stadiums, selling over 650,000 tickets. 

Take That’s brand new single, Windows - sees them reunite for their first original composition in over five years.  Windows, is a beautiful track which tells the story of emerging from the darkness into the light.  As a familiar falsetto rings out across the opening notes of Windows, it signals a new era for one of Britain’s best selling bands, Take That; an era brimming with energy, creativity and a continued desire to challenge and surprise.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Take That fans spot band using cheeky trick to remember lyrics to their ‘worst song’ on tour

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Take That kicked off their 2024 world tour in Sheffield earlier this week and fans have spotted the way the trio remember their song lyrics on stage.

The veteran boyband, who formed in 1990 , began their first major tour in five years at the Steel City’s Utilita Arena, playing to a sell-out crowd of 13,000 people.

And when it came time to perform a song that’s over 30 years old now, some of the 13,000 fans in attendance noticed a clever but hilarious trick Gary Barlow , Mark Owen , and Howard Donald were using to remember the words.

The trio was singing I Found Heaven, from their 1992 album Take That & Party, when fans spotted a teleprompter spelling out the lyrics for them on stage.

It’s not one of Take That’s best-known singles – only charting at number 15 in the UK – and Gary, 53, himself has previously described the song as ‘f***ing awful’ and the group’s worst ‘by a huge margin’.

On the setlist, I Found Heaven was sandwiched between A Million Love Songs and Patience, with the group performing 29 of their hits for almost three hours.

However, fans were forgiving of the decision to use the teleprompter, with one saying that with ‘so many great hits’ that it would be hard to remember the words to all of them.

Some of Gary’s monologues between songs were also typed out on the prompter, with the Cheshire-born singer looking back at Take That’s beginnings in Manchester, describing the city as ‘the place to be’ in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Never Forget hitmakers originally split in 1996 after Robbie Williams left the group to go solo, but reformed without Robbie in 2006 and achieved great success with their comeback album Beautiful World.

Robbie, 50, re-joined the group shortly afterward, forming part of the line-up for their third comeback album Progress, but left once again in 2014, continuing to work with Gary on new music after his second departure.

In the 2010s, Robbie was soon followed out of the group by original member Jason Orange , who insisted there had been no arguments or disagreements between the remaining members.

Since then, Take That have continued working as a trio, releasing their latest album This Life in 2023 – this latest tour is in support of its unveiling last year.

The tour will last for 41 dates, visiting several cities in the UK and Ireland before jetting off to Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, and New Zealand.

In preparation for the tour, Take That joined Lulu on-stage at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester to perform their hit single together, Relight My Fire, on the same day Lulu announced she would be retiring from live performances this summer.

The 1960s singer, who broke out with her top 10 hit Shout in 1967, said she would be performing at the Glastonbury Festival in June before calling time on her seven-decade career.

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Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

The UK could face a shortage of cava due to a drought in the sparkling wine's Spanish heartlands.

The Penedes area of Catalonia is dealing with its worst drought on record, with vineyards across the region so parched the roots of 30-year-old vines have died.

It's left shrivelled red and green grapes languishing under intense sun, fuelled by fossil-fuel driven climate change.

Cava is an increasingly popular drink in the UK, with 17.8 million bottles sold in 2023 - an increase of 5% from the previous year, when Britons stocked up on 16.8 million bottles, according to the Cava Regulatory Board.

That makes the UK the fourth-biggest buyer, behind only the US, Belgium and Germany.

Workforce slashed

The problems have been compounded after Catalonia-based cava producer Freixenet announced it will temporarily lay off 615 workers, almost 80% of its workforce.

Under Spanish law, companies facing exceptional circumstances can lay off staff or reduce working hours.

This measure is expected to take effect from May and it is not known how long it will last.

Price rises

One industry source told retail publication The Grocer  that cava shortages would push up prices "certainly for next year" if there isn't enough supply.

This could last for years if the drought persists, they added.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney told MailOnline the staff cuts at Freixenet can only mean one thing - price rises.

However, she added, supermarkets say they are not experiencing any issues right now.

Parents are being hammered by rising childcare costs, according to a new study that suggests they may spend more than £160,000 raising their child to the age of 18.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that parents with children pay £6,969 a year more than couples without.

Over 18 years and assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%, that amounts to a whopping £163,175, the investment platform said.

Its study also found that parents were less likely to have money left at the end of the month.

Single parents carry the biggest burden, with the research suggesting they have just £85 left on average compared to £365 for couples with children.

Hargreaves Lansdown also found just 23% of single parents reported having enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of essential expenses, compared to 63% of couples with children.

Parents are also at a slight disadvantage when it comes to pensions, the research found, with only 43% of couples with children on track for a moderate retirement income, compared to 47% without. Only 17% of single parents have a decent projected pension fund.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the firm, said "having children is one of the most expensive decisions a person can make".

She adds that as a result of having a child, "financial resilience suffers across the board", and added: "For single parents, life is even tougher, and they face far lower resilience on almost every measure.

"It means we need all the help we can get."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

One of the top stories shaking up the markets this morning is that UK-based mining company Anglo American has rejected a major $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover bid.

Details of the attempted buyout by Australian rival BHP emerged yesterday  - sending Anglo American shares soaring.

The deal would have created the world's biggest copper mining company - with the news coming as the price of the metal hit record highs this week.

However, Anglo American has now dismissed the proposal as "opportunistic" and said BHP had undervalued the company.

Anglo's shares are slightly down by 0.8% this morning - suggesting investors may not have given up hopes that a deal could eventually be agreed.

However, overall the FTSE 100 is up around 0.4% this morning, buoyed by strong reported earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet.

It's helped the index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, hit yet another intraday (during the day) record of 8,136 points this morning.

The winning streak comes after a week of all-time highs on the index - including a record close of 8,078 points yesterday. The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Among the companies doing well this morning is NatWest - despite the bank reporting a fall in pre-tax profits of nearly 28% for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in the lender are up more than 3% after its results were better than expected by analysts.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, almost on a par with yesterday.

Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has crept up slightly to $89 (£71).

Self-checkouts - they're like marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.

But the boss of Sainsbury's has claimed that his customers do  enjoy using self-checkouts, despite criticism that that machines don't always provide the convenience promised.

Simon Roberts told The Telegraph that there are more of them in Sainsbury's stores "than a number of years ago" as shoppers like the "speedy checkout".

But despite this, he said there won't be a time when they'll replace cashiers completely.

"Over the last year, where we've put more self-checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there," he said.

His comments come after northern supermarket Booths ditched self-checkouts at all but two of its sites after customer feedback. 

Walmart and Costco in the US have also scaled back on the systems.

Let us know in the comments - do you love or hate self-checkouts?

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team will get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'Smart meters save you money'

For this one, we've enlisted the help of Dr Steve Buckley, also known as the Energy Doctor and head of data science at Loop...

So do smart meters help you save? 

"The short answer is both yes and no," Steve says.

"Installing a smart meter by itself won't magically reduce your energy consumption. But, by giving you easy access to your energy usage data, smart meters pave the way for savings that you couldn't achieve otherwise."

Before smart meters, most households only found out how much energy they had used when the bill arrived. 

By that stage it's too late to address wasteful usage, leading to what's known as "bill shock". 

"With a smart meter, you can see your usage and costs in real-time through an in-home display or an app provided by your supplier," Steve says. 

"This immediate feedback encourages you to use less energy. If you measure it, you can control it."

In 2022, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero found that homes with smart meters used about 3.4% less electricity and 3% less gas. 

"This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to a saving of over £50 per household annually," Steve says.  

If all homes in the UK made similar cuts, that would amount to savings of around £1.5bn and a potential reduction in CO2 emissions by about 2.7m tonnes each year. 

"Good for individual households but also great for the planet," Steve says. 

Smart meters are often installed at no extra cost to the consumer - it's effectively free data for households. 

Limitations

Smart meters are more or less what you make of them - a simple, free tool that allows you to see headline figures. 

However, "without detailed analysis, it's tough to identify and eliminate" where you could be wasting money, Steve says. 

Apps like Utrack, Loop and Hugo Energy can help you work out where you might be losing money by offering a more detailed breakdown if connected to your smart meter. 

Those tools are often free, but you may need to register your card details as proof of address. 

The tools give a number of useful insights, including looking at consumption in other households of similar size or monitoring where chunks of your money are going, such as to a faulty boiler or the "phantom load" (energy wasted by devices left on unnecessarily).

Myth or must?

Although smart meters alone don't reduce energy bills, they are a vital tool to help energy efficiency and cost savings. 

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

It can be hard to balance getting nutritious foods that make you feel good without spending a lot.

In this series, which ends today after digging into yoghurt, bread, pasta, fruit juice and plant-based milk, we've tried to find the healthiest options in the supermarket for the best value.

Sunna Van Kampen,  founder of  Tonic Health ,  who went viral on social media for reviewing food in the search of healthier choices, has given his input for the past six weeks.

And for the final part of the series, we're looking at the nation's favourite snack: crisps. 

The series does not aim to identify the outright healthiest option, but to help you get better nutritional value for as little money as possible.

We're a people obsessed: in the UK, we get through six billion packets of crisps a year.

Sunna has three easy tips for finding the tastiest options that are kinder to your body...

1. Understand the fat facts

"Typical crisps can be oil sponges and contain over 30% fat from low-quality vegetable oils that have been fried," Sunna says. 

"What we are on the lookout for those that buck the trend and stay away from the fat." 

So, he says, aim for crisps that contain less than 15% total fat.

2. Fibre up your snack time

"While crisps aren't exactly salad, some can offer more nutritional value than others," Sunna says.

"Check the labels for options that have more fibre or protein."

These help you feel fuller for longer and also keep your digestive system happy.

3. Portion control

"It's easy to demolish an entire bag in one sitting - however, many brands offer multipack bags that are portion-controlled, usually around 25g a bag," Sunna says.

Sticking to these helps to manage calorie intake and stops overindulging.

The big picture

"Small changes might not immediately seem like a lot but if you eat a bag a day with your lunch, we are talking about up to a whopping two litres of oil cut from your diet over the course of the year," Sunna says,

"This is not permission to eat crisps every day (enjoy as an occasional treat) but rather an indication of how small changes add up quickly overtime."

The good news is Sunna's recommendations are all similar in price to their popular, fattier rivals - so you don't need to make a bigger investment to reap some health benefits. 

We've included the prices for the brands' standard multipacks at Tesco - correct as of time of writing. 

Walkers Oven Baked - £1.95 for six-pack

"Around £1.95 for a pack of six, these crisps are baked, not fried, slashing the fat content to 13%, so a great option."

Popchips - £2.25 for five-pack

"These have just 13% fat content as they're popped rather than fried so are a great way to go reducing fat without compromising on the crunch."

And for some non-crisp options...

ProperCorn Popcorn - £2 for six-pack

Often described as "the healthier, lighter option", Sunna says ProperCorn "isn't actually the best option on the market for fat content at 17.4%".

That being said, you do get "double the fibre of standard crisps at 10.9g per 100g". 

At only £2 for a pack of six, it's well-priced, too.

Snack A Jacks - £2.20 for five-pack

"At only 8.3% fat per 100g, it's a great option at £2.20 for a pack of five."

Penn State Baked Pretzels - £1.50 for 175g bag

Now for Sunna's winner.

"The German classic is a great option at only 4.6% fat per 100g," he says.

One downfall is that they are not available in portioned bags, so be careful with the whole 175g bag for £1.50.

Want another option altogether?

"If you want to be even healthier, consider the switch to nuts, seeds or even dried cheese snacks," Sunna says.

"Higher in calories yes, but higher in good healthy fats too and are more satiating which will limit the chance of overeating."

The nutritionist's view -  from  Dr Laura Brown , senior lecturer in nutrition, food and health sciences at Teesside University...

"Baked instead of fried crisps is definitely a way forward as well as the popcorn suggestion," she says.

"We should also be aiming to look at the amount of protein and fibre found in products. For example, lentil and pea snacks are growing in popularity due to their higher protein and fibre values, so the focus should be more on looking for ingredients other than potatoes, oil and salt. 

"I also feel 'crisp' based snacks made in an air fryer are becoming more popular. These can include a wholemeal wrap with a small amount of oil added, and placed in the air fryer with paprika and other seasoning added for flavour. 

"Also, chickpeas in the air fryer make for a super delicious protein and fibre rich snack. They are cheaper than crisps and lower in fat since no oil has to be added."

Read more from this series... 

Halifax has become the latest major lender to up mortgage rates.

They are putting up a range of deals by 0.2%.

BM Solutions also announced increases today.

It follows similar moves by TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry last week.

Lenders are responding to swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - rising on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

This is what average mortgage rates look like as of today...

Justin Moy, managing director of EHF Mortgages, told Newspage: "Yet more bad news for mortgage borrowers, as two of the biggest lenders announce increases to their fixed-rate products. 

"As mortgage rates creep up and past 5% even for those with the largest deposits, we seem to be lacking a clear strategy of the government or the Bank of England on how rates will eventually fall. 

"Even 2% inflation may not be enough to reverse the recent trends in rates."

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Electric Construction Equipment

Electric heavy machinery.

• Heavy Equipment

CASE shows off electric construction equipment in the UK [CIO interview]

CASE Construction Equipment broke new ground last week, when it became the first to deliver a certified sustainable product roadshow in the UK.

During a two-day event in central England, CNH Industrial (for CASE New Holland) showed off a full line-up of electric construction machinery. The event allowed local equipment operators and other stakeholders a chance to sample the battery electric machines and learn about a variety of other carbon reducing initiatives, including sustainable charging and waste management.

“At CNH increasing productivity for our customers in a sustainable way is a key priority. We are investing in alternative propulsion, fuel use/input cost reductions, and other innovative technologies, and this is just the tip of the iceberg,” reads the official CNH release covering the UK event . “A roadshow featuring heavy construction machinery inevitably has an impact on the land, so after the show we restored the site to its original condition. And our achievements were independently recognized with the ISO 20121 certification – a methodology first applied at the 2012 London Olympics – which rewards sustainable event organization.”

CASE electric construction equipment

The CASE roadshow featured compact and large electric excavators, electric wheel loaders , and a cabless track loader. Some of CNH’s UK staff were on hand to demonstrate the EVs and pose for a photo shoot with their sustainability certificate (above).

In addition to CASE and New Holland, CNH also owns a number of regionally focused ag equipment brands that includes STEYR, Raven, Flexi-Coil, and Kongskilde. The company merged with Fiat Industrial back in 2013 .

Electrek’s Take

We had the chance to interview CNH chief innovation officer (CIO) Marc Kermisch on the Heavy Equipment Podcast a few weeks ago, where we discussed the impact of automation and electrification on construction and agriculture , the lack of new farm and equipment operators, alternative fuels, and more. You can check that out, below, and let us know what you think of CASE’s sustainable roadshow in the comments.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

I’ve been in and around the auto industry since the 90s, and have written for a number of well-known outlets like CleanTechnica, the Truth About Cars, Popular Mechanics, and more. You can catch me on The Heavy Equipment Podcast with Mike Switzer, the AutoHub Show with Ian and Jeff, or chasing my kids around Oak Park, IL.

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What is Labour’s plan for rail travel and will it make tickets cheaper?

Party wants to fully nationalise train network within five years of coming to power, in ‘biggest rail reform for a generation’

Labour has made one of its most radical proposals yet in the run-up to an election campaign: to fully nationalise the train network within five years of coming to power.

The party has pledged to guarantee the cheapest fares as part of “the biggest reform of our railways for a generation”, bringing all passenger rail into national ownership under the Great British Railways (GBR) body.

So, how difficult would the plan be to enact and what does it mean for passengers?

How would Labour’s plan for Great British Railways change the way the trains are run?

The headline change is nationalisation: the ambition that all passenger train operations, at least, should return to public ownership. But the wider aim is that control of trains and tracks – “wheels and steel”, as some put it – is brought back under one unified structure, at arm’s length from the government.

The actual railway infrastructure is already managed by the state-owned Network Rail, since the disastrous tenure of Railtrack in the early days of privatisation, and train operations in Scotland, Wales and a large chunk of England are in public ownership. So a fully renationalised railway (bar the rolling stock and freight) is not as big a step as it may once have sounded – and arguably the pragmatic extension of the plans drawn up by the Conservatives in 2021, to end the fragmentation and waste in the system.

How long will the changes take?

Labour said it would get the ball rolling on day one. Given the years it has taken for the Conservatives’ GBR plans to crystallise into a draft bill that has scant chance of passing before an election, supporters of the changes would be forgiven for not holding their breath for legislation. But some of the spadework has been done by the GBR transition team, and Labour will be hoping for a more stable tenancy in Downing Street to see the policy through. It is, it stresses, a long-term plan.

As far as nationalisation of the train operators goes, most of the contracts of remaining operators will expire naturally within the next term, while the government can exercise break clauses in others, such as Avanti West Coast and Cross Country.

What would the trains look like?

Eventually, they would all be GBR-branded trains rather than the individual liveries and logos of different operators. Labour hopes that this will make things simpler for passengers, avoiding confusion over ticketing, as well as cutting costs.

Would it make train travel cheaper?

Possibly, but not for a while yet. Labour says it wants to make the railway more affordable but has definitively avoided any pledges to cut or even freeze the overall level of fares.

However, it believes that its plans will eventually save £2.2bn a year by avoiding the duplication and bureaucracy brought on by the current system, where the Department for Transport tightly controls and specifies contracts for the private firms, and reams of staff are employed in back-end roles. That could give ministers some scope to use more of the billions in annual taxpayer subsidy to bring fares down long-term.

What about this best-price guarantee?

Make that an “ambition”, according to the policy document . It’s testament to the complexity, or occasional absurdity, of UK rail fares that even after years of industry focus on improving the system, renationalising looks an easier promise than telling a passenger they’ve paid the right amount.

Things can be improved, Labour says, as contactless tap-in and tap-out payments extend through more and more of the country, opening up the possibility of a Transport for London-style system, where fares are streamlined and automatically capped or refunded.

The shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, pointedly chose the headquarters of Trainline in central London to launch her plans on Thursday, paying tribute to the travel app firm’s “relentless focus on passengers [and] improving their experience”. Trainline shares fell 10%, even though Labour says it has no plans to replace the private firm with a single state retailer.

But given that the app’s business depends on people paying extra to cut through the railway’s confusing fares, fragmentation and lack of a decent central ticketing site, Trainline shareholder nerves might be taken as a vote of confidence that GBR will improve the industry’s own offering.

How else might passengers benefit?

Labour says it would leave the running of the railway to the experts – but the transport secretary would set strategy and take on the role of passenger-in-chief, and the industry would not be “marking its own homework”.

The plan aims to strengthen the voice of passengers by rolling together the various bodies currently meant to be standing up for them – the watchdog Transport Focus and the little-known Rail Ombudsman, as well as a few divisions of the Office of Rail and Road.

What will happen to the private operators?

Their representatives at Rail Partners warn that it will be “messy” and the railway will lose their expertise. But the people actually running train operators, right up to the managing directors, have typically stayed in post with a different coloured badge when the owning groups moved on, and passengers at say, Southeastern or LNER may not feel life is very different. Firms once regarded as pillars of privatised rail such as Stagecoach, National Express (now Mobico) and Virgin have long exited UK rail already, pursuing business elsewhere.

• Rail industry
• Rail transport
• Transport policy

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