There have been Spice Girl sightings across Vancouver this weekend in anticipation of the girl group's tour launch Sunday night, almost a decade after they last performed as a quintet.

Sporty, Scary, Ginger, Baby and Posh —  Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham —announced last May they would reunite for a one-time world tour.

The Spice Girls, shown last June, from left, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown launch their reunion tour in Vancouver on Sunday night.
(Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press)

The British quintet's appearance at General Motors Place on Sunday night will be followed by concerts around the world, including several stops in the U.S., Buenos Aires, Madrid, Cape Town, Beijing, Sydney and London. The group returns to Canada for two concerts in Toronto, on Feb. 3 and 4.

Bunton was spotted shopping at Gucci on Saturday with her boyfriend, while Beckham was located at Holt Renfrew on Friday.

Spice Girl fan Charlotte Watson says she'll be wearing high black shoes to the concert, having been hooked on the group since their hit release Wannabe in 1996.

"It reminds me of partying all the time. And summertime," says Watson, 28, who admits she's often reluctant to say she likes the Spice Girls, especially to serious music lovers.

"They were always just a bit cheesy."

There's much buzz about the reunion tour — the group hasn't performed together since 1999.

Get press when apart

Meanwhile, they've all still managed to feed the tabloid machine. For instance, Mel B. had a child out of wedlock with actor Eddie Murphy, and a legal tussle ensued when Murphy denied being the father. Scary Spice also has also just come off a turn on TV's Dancing with the Stars. Beckham, meanwhile, married soccer star David Beckham, and has been fending off rumours of anorexia.

All the Spice Girls except Sporty are mothers.

The group, which has sold more than 50 million albums, is expected to perform 22 songs during their two-hour show, with many costume changes.

"Our concerts are going to have all of our classic hits," Brown told USA Today. "I don't think we've changed one of them. Now that our fans are a bit older, I'm hoping they'll bring their children so we've got a good range."

The Spice Girls blasted into international stardom after their 1996 debut album with a string of pop hits, including Wannabe, Say You'll Be There and 2 Become 1.

The group's next album, Spice World, continued with chart toppers like Spice Up Your Life, Stop and Too Much. Then, Halliwell parted ways in 1998. The rest of the group broke up in 2001.

 

With files from the Canadian Press