Take That tour sells 1 million tickets in 24 hours
Last Updated: Monday, November 1, 2010 | 2:02 PM ET
CBC News
Jason Orange, Howard Donald, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen and Gary Barlow of Take That attend a press conference to announce their new stadium tour Progress Live 2011 Oct. 26 in London, England. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images) Popular British band Take That has reportedly sold out the biggest tour in U.K. history.
According to The Mirror, the Progress Live 2011 tour sold more than one million tickets in 24 hours
The overwhelming demand crashed ticket-selling websites seconds after tickets became available on Friday morning.
Ticketmaster issued an apology to frustrated fans.
"We are extremely disappointed that we were unable to maintain a satisfactory level of service on our website throughout the day, and whilst hundreds and thousands of tickets have been sold, we know that many of our consumers have experienced very frustrating delays in securing their tickets," said Ticketmaster.
"We have witnessed a level of demand for tickets through our website which has surpassed anything ever experienced before by Ticketmaster within the U.K.," it said.
Reports say the demand was twice as high as Michael Jackson's planned "This Is It" comeback tour, selling £50 million worth of tickets on Friday, which was estimated at 50 tickets sold every second.
"We are speechless, truly and utterly shocked!" said the band in a joint statement. "This is the most amazing news for all of us. To sell one million tickets in a day is mind blowing and we think we'll be in shock for a few days."
Take That's Progress Live 2011 tour marks the first time the five-person group will tour together since the departure of Robbie Williams in 1995.
The band sold millions of records in the 1990s, but disbanded in the mid-90s after Williams left the band due to an internal conflict.
Williams went on to become a successful solo artist, selling more than 55 million albums worldwide, and winning 15 BRIT Awards. In 2004, Williams was voted into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame as the most influential artist of the 90s.
Take That reunited five years ago as a four-man band, and they announced Williams' return in July.
Share Tools
FILM REVIEW: Men in Black 3 by Eli Glasner May. 25, 2012 11:40 AM Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in the action sequel Men in Black 3, a third instalment of a series now 15 years old. Though new addition Josh Brolin manages some amazing mimicry as a younger version of Jones, the story doesn't measure up to the weird and wonderful charms of the original, says film reviewer Eli Glasner.
Top News Headlines
- Everest victim’s husband says family not seeking government help
- The husband of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest on Saturday says his family is not seeking government help to cover the cost of bringing his wife's body home. more »
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- The federal government is scrapping two review boards used by people appealing decisions made about their employment insurance. more »
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Raw stories about bullying emerged when a video booth was set up inside a Quebec high school. more »
- Serial carjacker gets life term for fatal crash
- An Ontario judge was moved to tears while delivering a life prison sentence to a serial carjacker who killed a woman and injured five others after driving a stolen van into her car during a 2010 police chase. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Prophetic Cosmopolis premieres at Cannes
- David Cronenberg says he didn't anticipate the Occupy Wall Street movement as he prepared to shoot Cosmopolis, his new film which made its world premiere Friday at the Cannes Film Festival in southern France. more »
- Jennifer Egan's newest story debuts on Twitter
- The latest short story from Pulitzer-winning writer Jennifer Egan is emerging 140 characters at a time via Twitter. more »
- Miller Brittain sketches restored by museum
- Canadian artist and social satirist Miller Brittain's larger than life chalk drawings may once again hang in Saint John. more »
- Keira Knightley engaged to rocker James Righton
- Keira Knightley, the British actress who starred in A Dangerous Method and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, is engaged to boyfriend James Righton, keyboard player for the Klaxons. more »
Q Blog
Toni Morrison on her two selves May. 25, 2012 5:57 PM Jian speaks with the celebrated African American author and academic about her two conflicting selves, and her new novel, Home.
CBC Books
Talking about war May. 25, 2012 4:57 PM The public conversation around war has always been complex and thorny. How does Canada's military approach differ from that of other countries? Are we a society of peacekeepers or warriors? These are some of the questions that Noah Richler explores in his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About War.
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Everest victim’s husband says family not seeking government help
- Reclaiming the dead on Mt. Everest
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Canada ending 'Buffalo shuffle' for visas, closing consulate
- Brave cat makes epic leap of faith
- Double-lung recipient dances on Ellen show
- What a Greek euro exit could mean for Canada
