Take That: Back Under The Big Top
An Iconic British Pop Legacy
Take That are an iconic British pop group, renowned for their cinematic performances and instantly recognisable songs. Formed in Manchester in 1990, the group have achieved 28 Top 40 singles, 20 Top 10 singles, and 17 Top 5 singles on the UK charts, including 12 number-one singles, cementing their position as one of Britain’s most successful boy bands.
The Circus Returns
In 2009, we had the pleasure of lighting their seventh concert tour, The Circus, which sold all 650,000 tickets in less than five hours. This year, we were delighted to once again supply the lighting package for The Circus Live – a bigger and more ambitious production, designed to revive the magic of the original while exceeding expectations.
A Fully Immersive Spectacle
Blending live music, theatrical performance, and circus artistry, the production was designed as a fully immersive visual experience. Staying true to the spirit of the circus, the tour also featured a giant elephant puppet, twice the size of an African elephant, which sprayed water over the audience, alongside 500 balloons released during every show.
Reimagining the Original
To showcase the capabilities of our equipment while preserving the essence of the original production, Lighting Designers Tim Routledge and Patrick Woodroffe studied footage from the 2009 tour. Their aim was to retain the spirit and visual identity of the original show while modernising the rig and evolving the colour palette to create a fresh, contemporary experience. The 2009 rig delivered an extensive package including Coemar Infinity Wash XLs, Martin MAC 250 Washes, Martin MAC 700 Profiles, Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1500s and 300s, Martin Atomic 3000 Strobes, Zap Technology Big Lite, Super Trouper Gladiator III and I-Pix Satellite. Together, the design and equipment helped honour the legacy of the 2009 tour while delivering a refreshed look for today’s audiences.
A New Generation of Lighting Technology
Between 2009 and 2026, the lighting rig changed dramatically, with the 2026 setup featuring an entirely new fixture package of fixtures including ROBE GigaPointe, ROXX NEO, ROBE iFORTE LTX, GLP JDC Burst 1, ACME Lighting Blinder Line 10, Ayrton Domino LT, EagleStrike, Mamba and Nando 502 Wash, ROBE iFORTE HP and LTX, ROXX Cluster Blinder B4 FC, Cluster S2 and NEO, and SGM P-3 Vision solutions. Rather than simply recreating the original rig, the team took advantage of the latest lighting technologies to evolve the design, delivering the same iconic aesthetic while enhancing its scale and visual impact.
Lighting on a Grand Scale
Together, the equipment gave Tim & Patrick the flexibility to create a dynamic lighting environment that could match the scale and theatricality of the production. A key part of the project was the close collaboration between the production team and our team. By understanding the history of Take That’s productions and the way the touring camp operates, we were able to provide the support and expertise required throughout the tour.
The Perfect Collaborator
As Lighting Designer Tim Routledge explains:
“Neg Earth go the extra mile when it comes to the integration of metalwork and scenic integration. They understand and support the Take That history and how the camp operates, which makes them the perfect collaborator.”
