Review: Take That celebrate return with fans in Hyde Park

Take That pulled out all the stops –  and a load of confetti – as they played a jubilant set headlining BST Hyde Park.

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald stormed onto the stage on Saturday with The Flood.

The song was a poignant first choice as when released in 2010 it included former band members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange.

Bursts of confetti then heraled Could It Be Magic, which struck into the hearts of their adoring fans.

The band may now be only trio but are weathering the storms with their first post-pandemic gig.

And what a celebration it was, with a live band underpinning a singalong fiesta of hits including Greatest Day, A Million Love Songs, and Never Forget.

Take That perform a celebratory set at BST Hyde Park (Image: Dave Hogan)

Owen donned a top hat to sing Shine as dancers swept across the stage and more bursts of confetti filled the air.

During the show they read out several banners displayed by fans at the front of the 65,000 strong crowd.

One read “This song is older than us”, to which Owen replied “That’s probably a lot of our songs”.

Another banner read: “Today is my greatest day, I made it through cancer”, which sent a supportive roar through the park.

Barlow dedicated The Garden to the cancer survivor and the “two million people on the Pride parade” with yet more multi-coloured confetti raining down.

Fans were delighted when Lulu burst on to the stage during the band’s Relight My Fire, a song the 74-year-old sang with the group in 1993.

Some 65,000 fans bought tickets to see Take That headline at BST Hyde Park (Image: Dave Hogan)

The band also brought out singer Callum Scott, who duetted with Barlow on a version of 2008’s Greatest Day.

Scott then belted out his hit track Dancing on My Own, which drew a cheer from the crowd.

It was clear to everyone how grateful the remaining Take That trio were to be there, with Barlow telling the crowd that for a long time during the past three decades “we weren’t a band at all” but that they had “finally learned to work as a team”.

He said he was “amazed” to see such an audience waiting to see them again, adding “if you know the words sing along” as he led a very heartfelt Patience.

Telling everyone to switch on their phone torches, they ended the show with Rule the World as fireworks exploded into the night sky.

They might be in their 50s, but Take That are still the nation’s most popular boy band and they certainly know how to put on a show.