Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live was a worldwide concert tour by British synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Billed by the group as "their first-ever greatest hits tour", the tour was originally announced on 11 September 2019, to take place in arenas across the United Kingdom from May to June 2020.[1] The dates were postponed several times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It ultimately began on 10 May 2022, at Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, scheduled to run through September 2024.[2][3][4][5] The tour would eventually end as the closing show for the 2024 iteration of Radio 2 in the Park in Preston.[6][7]
| Tour by Pet Shop Boys | |
 Promotional poster for the tour | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Associated album | Smash: The Singles 1985–2020 |
| Start date | 10 May 2022 |
| End date | 8 September 2024 |
| Legs | 4 |
| No. of shows | 83 |
| Pet Shop Boys concert chronology | |
The tour also included stops at Glastonbury Festival in 2022 and the Primavera Sound festivals in Barcelona, Madrid and Porto in June 2023, as well as its Latin American counterparts in November and December 2023.[8][9]
In 2023, Pet Shop Boys released Smash: The Singles 1985–2020, a greatest hits album inspired by the tour.[10]
A film recording of the tour's stop in Copenhagen premiered in cinemas worldwide in January and February 2024, under the title Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen.[11]
Background
editOn 11 September 2019, Pet Shop Boys announced their first-ever greatest hits tour, "Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live", with seven dates in arenas throughout the United Kingdom, beginning on 28 May 2020 at London's The O2 Arena and ending on 6 June at Glasgow's SSE Hydro.[1] On 14 November 2019, with the announcement of the duo's fourteenth album Hotspot, more tour dates were revealed, with the tour now beginning on 1 May at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin and ending on 19 June at the OverOslo festival in Oslo.[12] However, on 8 April 2020, Pet Shop Boys announced that the United Kingdom dates would be rescheduled to May and June 2021, following government advice as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] On 3 February 2021, the Pet Shop Boys rescheduled the tour again, this time beginning on 13 May 2022 at Vienna's Gasometer and ending on 15 June 2022 in Stockholm's Ericsson Globe.[2] On 19 October 2021, six more dates were added, including the first show on 10 May 2022 in Milan's Teatro degli Arcimboldi and a tentative end date on 6 July 2022 at Budapest Park.[14][15] Finally, on 4 March 2022, the Pet Shop Boys announced the final show of the first leg, taking place on 16 July 2022 at the Gran Canaria Arena in the Canary Islands.[16]
Pet Shop Boys performed Dreamworld at Glastonbury Festival 2022 on June 27, with Olly Alexander of Years & Years joining the band onstage for their collaboration "Dreamland".[17]
In September and October 2022, Pet Shop Boys co-headlined the Unity Tour in North America with New Order.[18]
The Dreamworld tour resumed on 31 December 2022, headlining Edinburgh's Hogmanay Concert in the Gardens.[19] Pet Shop Boys performed Dreamworld at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Madrid and Porto in June 2023, including free sideshows at the 2,900-capacity Sala Apolo in Barcelona and 1,550-capacity Joy Eslava in Madrid.[20][21] The tour continued through the United Kingdom and Europe from 13 June to 9 July, from Rome to Gothenburg.[22][23]
The tour visited Latin America from 19 November 2023 to 10 December 2023. It began at the Corona Capital festival in Mexico City and ended at the "Road to Primavera Sound" event in Bogotá after the original festival was cancelled and downsized.[24][25]
The tour was further scheduled to continue in 2024, with a United Kingdom run from 4 to 11 June and a European run from 26 June to 6 July.[26][27] The band's 11 June concert in Belfast was their first there since 1991.[28] In July, they played a five-night residency at the Royal Opera House in London.[29] On 22 July, the duo announced a standalone show on 6 September in Blackpool, performing at Funny Girls cabaret bar for the first time in their 43-year career. The concert was 'an intimate performance' intended as a warm-up for their subsequent appearance at the thirteenth iteration of Radio 2 in the Park, as headliners of the event's final night on 8 September 2024, ultimately concluding their tour after a period of two years and four months of touring across the European and American continents.[30][6][7]
Concert synopsis
editThe concert begins with the 1986 single "Suburbia" as Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe stand onstage between two streetlight props, both sporting tuning fork headwear. Behind the duo is a screen displaying moving images for each song. In between "Can You Forgive Her?" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", Tennant removes his tuning fork mask. During the instrumental intro of "Left to My Own Devices", the streetlights are removed and the screen is lifted, revealing the backing band for the first time. Lowe unmasks himself and moves to a new elevated platform that was previously hidden behind the screen, while Tennant changes costumes. Before "Dreamland", Tennant and Lowe change costumes again, sporting silver overcoats. Throughout the concert, Tennant explains the origins of the songs on the setlist, such as telling a story of how "Domino Dancing" came from a friend's victory dance after playing dominoes in Saint Lucia.[31] The main set ends with "It's a Sin".[32]
For the encore of "West End Girls" and "Being Boring", Tennant changes into a black trench coat while Lowe wears his own "Boy" brand baseball cap, as a nod to the duo's trademark look during the 1980s.[32]
Concert film
editThe concert film Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen was filmed using footage from the tour's 7 July 2023 date at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen. It was directed by David Barnard and recorded in 4K resolution by 14 different cameras. It was released through Trafalgar Releasing. It was screened globally in theatres on 31 January and 4 February.[33]
Setlist
editThe following set lists are from the shows in Hull (31 May 2022),[34] Brighton (26 June 2023),[32] and Manchester (9 June 2024).[35] They are not intended to represent all shows of the tour. In 2024, three songs from the new album Nonetheless were included.[29]
- Suburbia
- Can You Forgive Her?
- Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
- Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
- Rent
- I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
- So Hard
- Left to My Own Devices
- Single-Bilingual / Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)
- Domino Dancing
- Monkey Business
- New York City Boy
- You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
- Jealousy
- Love Comes Quickly
- Losing My Mind
- Always on My Mind
- Dreamland
- Heart
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- It's Alright
- Vocal
- Go West
- It's a Sin
- Encore
- Suburbia
- Can You Forgive Her?
- Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
- Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
- Rent
- I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
- So Hard
- Left to My Own Devices
- Single-Bilingual / Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)
- Domino Dancing
- Monkey Business
- New York City Boy
- Jealousy
- Love Comes Quickly
- Paninaro
- Always on My Mind
- Dreamland
- Heart
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- It's Alright
- Vocal
- Go West
- It's a Sin
- Encore
- Suburbia
- Can You Forgive Her?
- Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
- Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
- Rent
- I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
- So Hard
- Left to My Own Devices
- Single-Bilingual / Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)
- Domino Dancing / Dancing Star
- New York City Boy
- A New Bohemia
- Jealousy
- Loneliness
- Love Comes Quickly
- Paninaro
- Always on My Mind
- Dreamland
- Heart
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- It's Alright
- Vocal
- Go West
- It's a Sin
- Encore
Shows
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance / Capacity | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg #1 – Europe | |||||
| 10 May 2022 | Milan | Italy | Teatro degli Arcimboldi | ||
| 12 May 2022 | Vienna | Austria | Planet.tt Bank Austria Halle | ||
| 14 May 2022 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle | ||
| 15 May 2022 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | ||
| 17 May 2022 | Brussels | Belgium | Vorst Nationaal | ||
| 18 May 2022 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | AFAS Live | ||
| 20 May 2022 | Manchester | England | AO Arena | ||
| 22 May 2022 | London | The O2 Arena | |||
| 24 May 2022 | Cardiff | Wales | Motorpoint Arena Cardiff | ||
| 25 May 2022 | Bournemouth | England | Bournemouth International Centre | ||
| 27 May 2022 | Newcastle | Utilita Arena Newcastle | |||
| 28 May 2022 | Birmingham | Resorts World Arena | |||
| 29 May 2022 | Glasgow | Scotland | OVO Hydro | ||
| 31 May 2022 | Hull | England | Bonus Arena | ||
| 2 June 2022 | Kværndrup | Denmark | Heartland Festival | ||
| 4 June 2022 | Oberhausen | Germany | Rudolf Weber-Arena | ||
| 5 June 2022 | Hamburg | Barclays Arena | |||
| 7 June 2022 | Leipzig | QUARTERBACK Immobilien ARENA | |||
| 8 June 2022 | Prague | Czech Republic | Forum Karlín | ||
| 10 June 2022 | Stuttgart | Germany | Porsche-Arena | ||
| 11 June 2022 | Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena | |||
| 15 June 2022 | Stockholm | Sweden | Avicii Arena | ||
| 17 June 2022 | Oslo | Norway | OverOslo Festival | ||
| 19 June 2022 | Frankfurt | Germany | Jahrhunderthalle | ||
| 22 June 2022 | Cork | Ireland | Live at the Marquee | ||
| 24 June 2022 | London | England | Electric Ballroom | ||
| 26 June 2022 | Glastonbury | Glastonbury Festival | |||
| 30 June 2022 | Athens | Greece | Release Athens | ||
| 6 July 2022 | Budapest | Hungary | Budapest Park | ||
| 9 July 2022 | Bilbao | Spain | Bilbao BBK Live | ||
| 14 July 2022 | Tenerife | Campo De Fútbol El Peñón | |||
| 16 July 2022 | Gran Canaria | Gran Canaria Arena | |||
| Leg #2 – Europe | |||||
| 31 December 2022 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Princes Street Gardens | ||
| 31 May 2023 | Barcelona | Spain | Parc del Fòrum[a] | ||
| 4 June 2023 | Sala Apolo[a] | ||||
| 6 June 2023 | Madrid | Joy Eslava[a] | |||
| 7 June 2023 | Estadio Metropolitano[a] | ||||
| 9 June 2023 | Porto | Portugal | Parque da Cidade[a] | ||
| 13 June 2023 | Rome | Italy | Parco della Musica | ||
| 15 June 2023 | Paris | France | L'Olympia | ||
| 17 June 2023 | London | England | OVO Arena Wembley | ||
| 19 June 2023 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena | ||
| 21 June 2023 | Aberdeen | Scotland | P&J Live | ||
| 23 June 2023 | Liverpool | England | M&S Bank Arena | ||
| 24 June 2023 | Leeds | First Direct Arena | |||
| 26 June 2023 | Brighton | Brighton Centre | |||
| 28 June 2023 | Cornwall | Eden Project | |||
| 1 July 2023 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena | ||
| 4 July 2023 | Helsinki | Finland | Helsinki Ice Hall | ||
| 7 July 2023 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Royal Arena | ||
| 9 July 2023 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Scandinavium | ||
| Leg #3 – Latin America | |||||
| 19 November 2023 | Mexico City | Mexico | Corona Capital | ||
| 20 November 2023 | Teatro Metropólitan | ||||
| 26 November 2023 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Parque Sarmiento[a] | ||
| 29 November 2023 | Santiago | Chile | Movistar Arena | ||
| 2 December 2023 | São Paulo | Brazil | Autódromo de Interlagos[a] | ||
| 4 December 2023 | Audio[a] | ||||
| 7 December 2023 | Lima | Peru | Multiespacio Costa 21[a] | ||
| 9 December 2023 | Bogotá | Colombia | Movistar Arena[a] | ||
| Leg #4 – Europe | |||||
| 26 May 2024 | London | England | KOKO | ||
| 31 May 2024 | Santiago de Compostela | Spain | O Son do Camiño | ||
| 4 June 2024 | Glasgow | Scotland | OVO Hydro | ||
| 6 June 2024 | Nottingham | England | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham | ||
| 8 June 2024 | Birmingham | Utilita Arena Birmingham | |||
| 9 June 2024 | Manchester | Co-op Live | |||
| 11 June 2024 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | SSE Arena | ||
| 15 June 2024 | Calvià | Spain | Mallorca Live Festival | ||
| 22 June 2024 | Newport | England | Isle of Wight Festival | ||
| 26 June 2024 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | AFAS Live | ||
| 28 June 2024 | Mannheim | Germany | SAP Arena | ||
| 29 June 2024 | Hanover | ZAG-Arena | |||
| 1 July 2024 | Prague | Czech Republic | O2 Universum | ||
| 3 July 2024 | Warsaw | Poland | Arena COS Torwar | ||
| 6 July 2024 | Berlin | Germany | Uber Arena | ||
| 13 July 2024 | Barcelona | Spain | Cruïlla Festival | ||
| 18 July 2024 | Pori | Finland | Pori Jazz | ||
| 23 July 2024 | London | England | Royal Opera House | ||
| 24 July 2024 | |||||
| 25 July 2024 | |||||
| 26 July 2024 | |||||
| 27 July 2024 | |||||
| 6 September 2024 | Blackpool | Funny Girls | |||
| 8 September 2024 | Preston | Radio 2 in the Park | |||
Personnel
editPet Shop Boys
- Neil Tennant – vocals
- Chris Lowe – keyboards
Live band[36]
- Afrika Green – percussion, backing vocals
- Simon Tellier – percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
- Clare Uchima – keyboards, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
Directors
- Stuart Price – music producer
- Pete Gleadall – musical director and programmer
- Tom Scutt – creative director, set and costume design
- Lynne Page – stage director
- Luke Halls – video content
- Jenny Rush – video content
- Bruno Poet – lighting director
- Matthew Daw – lighting director
- David Allen – associate set designer
- Frank Strachan – associate costume designer, styling and wardrobe
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Dreamworld: greatest hits tour". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Dreamworld rescheduled". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Richards, Will (23 May 2022). "Pet Shop Boys at The O2: an ecstatic showing of 40 years of brilliance". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys announce 2024 greatest hits tour". DJMag.com. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Radio 2 in the Park". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b Marshall, Jack (8 September 2024). "I went to finale of BBC Radio 2 in the Park with Pet Shop Boys and not even the rain could dampen spirits". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Preston". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "The road to Primavera Sound also passes through Peru: The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Bad Gyal and Bad Religion will play in Lima". www.primaverasound.com. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Primavera Sound in four dimensions: start to discover the fabulous line-ups for the Latin American editions of the festival". www.primaverasound.com. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Gotto, Connor (31 March 2023). "Pet Shop Boys celebrate 35-years of hits with massive SMASH box set". RETROPOP. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys greatest hits concert at Royal Arena Copenhagen to show in cinemas next year". DJMag.com. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ csweet (14 November 2019). "PET SHOP BOYS - Announce new studio album 'Hotspot' - out 24th January 2020". Circuit Sweet. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Dreamworld rescheduled". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "New "Dreamworld" shows announced". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Gotto, Connor (19 October 2021). "Pet Shop Boys extend 'Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live' Tour". RETROPOP. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Dreamworld in Gran Canaria". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Kemp, Ella (26 June 2022). "Watch Years & Years' Olly Alexander join Pet Shop Boys at Glastonbury 2022". NME. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (1 June 2021). "New Order and Pet Shop Boys Reschedule Tour for 2022". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys headlining this year's Edinburgh Hogmanay Concert in the Gardens". Bracknell News. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Primavera a la Ciutat: Pet Shop Boys + Dave P + DJ Playero". (barcelona-metropolitan.com). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Cabrera, Elena (8 June 2023). "Pet Shop Boys arranca el Primavera Sound de Madrid ante la incertidumbre de la cancelación". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Dreamworld 2023". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Moore, Sam (28 June 2022). "Pet Shop Boys announce summer 2023 UK tour dates". NME. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys Announce Relentless 30th Anniversary Reissue". 27 September 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ González, Sara (9 December 2023). "Primavera Sound Bogotá 2023: lo que hay que saber del nuevo formato y la devolución de las entradas". El País América Colombia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Tabberer, Jamie (7 November 2023). "Pet Shop Boys announce new 2024 dates for Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Tour". Attitude. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Dreamworld in Europe". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Gotto, Connor (29 November 2023). "Pet Shop Boys announce Dreamworld concert movie". RETROPOP. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b Curran, Shaun (24 July 2024). "Pet Shop Boys, Royal Opera House review: They nearly took the roof off". inews. London. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Funny Girls". Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (21 May 2022). "Pet Shop Boys review – kitchen sink dramas turned into wild extravaganza". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Pet Shop Boys play Brighton Centre on their 'Dreamworld: The Great Hits Live' tour". Brighton and Hove News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys' Greatest Hits Concert Film 'Dreamworld' is Coming to Australian Cinemas". Yahoo Entertainment. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Jones, Craig (1 June 2022). "Pet Shop Boys at Hull Bonus Arena review, setlist, photos and more". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ Jones, Craig (10 June 2024). "Pet Shop Boys take their fans on a hit-packed journey during wonderful Co-op Live Show". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "PSB Technology - HOTSPOT album". www.pet-shop-boys.eu. Retrieved 16 January 2024.