Love On Tour[4] was the second concert tour by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, in support of his second and third studio albums, Fine Line (2019) and Harry's House (2022). The tour consisted of seven legs spreading over the course of 22 months starting on 4 September 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and concluded on 22 July 2023 in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
After being postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour began on 4 September 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada supporting Fine Line, consisting of 42 announced US dates in total.[5] Styles later began touring internationally in June of the following year, promoting Fine Line as well as Harry's House. Love On Tour became one of the first full-capacity indoor arena concert tours to occur in the United States since the pandemic.[6] The first leg grossed a total of $95 million and sold 719,000 tickets from 42 shows performed in North America from September to November 2021. The tour made another $55 million and sold 638,000 tickets from the 23 shows performed in Europe from June to July 2022. In total, Love On Tour grossed $617.3 million and sold five million tickets.[7]
Background
On 4 November 2019, Styles announced the release of his second studio album Fine Line, which was released on 13 December 2019;[8] the first single "Lights Up" was released on digital platforms on 11 October.[9] During a radio interview with Capital FM on the singer announced that he would tour the world through 2020.[10] Styles announced the album's support tour, Love On Tour on November 13, exactly a month before the album's release.[11][12]
In March 2020, it was announced that the European leg would be postponed to 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] In June of the same year, Styles pushed back the North American leg of the tour, including the planned "Harryween" event, to 2021.[14] In July 2021, it was announced that the dates for the US leg had been adjusted and would start in September 2021 instead of August.[15] Depending on the state legislature, the event organizer required proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative diagnostic test within 48 hours prior to entry, in addition to wearing a mask, in order to attend Styles' show.[16][17] On January 19, 2022, Styles announced European and South American tour dates.[18]
In October 2021, during the tour, Styles held a two-day Halloween event at New York City's Madison Square Garden arena, called "Harryween Fancy Dress Party", where all concertgoers dressed in costumes, with Styles himself dressed as Dorothy Gale and a Pierrot clown.[19] Many of the concertgoers were photographed on the scene by Vogue.[20] In August 2022, Styles announced additional European dates, to take place from 13 May to 22 July 2023.[21]
Critical reception
The show received rave reviews from critics. Ramin Setoodeh of Variety praised Styles' performance during the show, highlighting the artist's energy and connection with the audience. Setoodeh noted that Styles was clearly enjoying himself and delivered a powerful setlist focused on his 2019 album Fine Line, along with tracks from his debut album and a One Direction hit, "What Makes You Beautiful".[22]
Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone defined Styles' post-pandemic return to the stage at Madison Square Garden as triumphant. The concert, delayed by the pandemic, showcased Styles' electrifying performance and strong bond with fans eagerly awaiting the event. Spanos also highlighted that the show emphasized communal experiences and inclusive gestures, reinforcing Styles' message of kindness. She also noted that the encore, featuring "Kiwi" underscored Styles' rockstar charisma, leaving the audience excited and fully embracing his call for self-expression and celebration.[23]
Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times attended Styles' 15-night residency at Madison Square Garden, examining how he wielded his star power and musical direction. Caramanica noted Styles' undeniable charisma and stage presence but questioned the depth of his musical impact, finding the performance more about showmanship than substance. Zoladz, contrasting with Caramanica, celebrated Styles as a consummate pop star catering to his fervent fanbase, highlighting his charismatic banter and stage engagement.[24]
The Guardian gave the show in Glasgow a five-star review stating that the show, which celebrates his third album Harry's House (2022), was marked by an incredibly positive poptimism, without elaborate tricks, sophisticated choreography or pyrotechnics, just Styles' dazzling charisma, backed by a six-piece band and a catalog of music that crosses genres.[25]
Will Richards of The Standard gave a four-star review of the show at Wembley Stadium in London, he stated that the atmosphere was marked by the exuberance of the fans, who dressed in vibrant colors and extravagant costumes. He also said the event was not just a concert, but a community celebration, where fans met in person for the first time and expressed support for each other, including with messages asking for help in coming out as gay. He stated that the show, although simple in terms of production, focused on fan interaction and celebrating authenticity.[26]
"Love on Tour" was ranked second on Pollstar''s 2021 year-end list of worldwide tours, with a gross of 86.3 million dollars and a total of 669,051 tickets sold across 39 shows in its North American leg.[27] The tour sold out numerous shows and was a success. The tour's four shows at Wembley Stadium in London were ranked seventh on Pollstar's 2023 year-end list of the top 300 concert grosses, earning $37,341,665 with a total of 335,394 tickets sold. Several other shows from the tour also appeared on the list.[28] The tour grossed a total of $617.3 million according to Billboard, with over five million tickets sold. At the time, the tour ended as the fifth-highest grossing and eighth-most attended tour ever.[3]
Styles performed "Toxic" by Britney Spears and "Medicine" during the show in New York City on 31 October 2021.[38] Styles performed Medicine during select dates throughout the tour.[39][40][41]
Beginning on the 11 June 2022 show in Glasgow, Styles added "Music for a Sushi Restaurant", "Daylight", "Cinema", "Keep Driving", "Matilda", "Boyfriends", "Satellite", "Late Night Talking", "Love of My Life" and "As It Was" to the set list; he removed "Carolina", "Only Angel", "She", "Two Ghosts", "Falling", "Sunflower Vol. 6", "To Be So Lonely", "Woman" and "Cherry".[42]
Styles performed "The Horses" by Daryl Braithwaite during the show in Perth on 20 February 2023 and the show in Melbourne on 25 February 2023.[45][46] Braithwaite joined Styles for a surprise performance during the show in Sydney on 4 March of the same year.[47][48]
Beginning with the show in Horsens on 13 May 2023, Styles performed "Grapejuice" and "Stockholm Syndrome".[49]
On the final show, 22 July 2023 in Reggio Emilia, Styles performed a 10-minute instrumental piece he had written.[50]
^Originally set to take place on 13 September 2021, but was rescheduled due to Tropical Storm Nicholas.
^Originally set to take place on 6 October 2022, but was rescheduled due to band/crew illness.
^The concert on 27 November 2022 in Bogotá was originally scheduled on 8 October 2020 at Movistar Arena,[52] but it was rescheduled and moved the Salitre Mágico, and then was moved again to Coliseo Live.[53]
^ abcdThe box office data is representative of the three shows at Allianz Parque on 6 and 13–14 December respectively.
^The show took place on a stage outside Jeunesse Arena.
^Originally set to take place on 5 November 2022, but was rescheduled due to Styles having the flu.
^Originally set to take place on 4 November 2022, but was rescheduled to 6 November 2022 due to band/crew illness. It was then rescheduled again due to Styles having the flu.
^Originally set to take place on 7 November 2022, but was rescheduled due to Styles having the flu.
^Mason, Melissa. "Harry Styles is Officially in Australia and He's Already Made Headlines with His Perth Show". Grazia. Italy: Reworld Media. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023. The part of his concert fans are raving about, though, was a surprise cover – of none other than Australian rock artist Daryl Braithwaite's 90s classic, 'Horses'. Yes, Harry Styles played 'Horses' at the Perth leg of his tour, which means you can probably expect to see him cover the pub hit at his other Australian gigs.
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