Singer-songwriter and one third of band Take That, Gary Barlow, is the latest headliner to join Forestry England’s summer concert series, Forest Live, for 2025. A celebration of his four decade-spanning career, Gary Barlow will be performing a homecoming gig at Cheshire’s Forestry England Delamere, less than an hour’s drive from Manchester, on Saturday 14th June as part of his solo Songbook Tour.
Merging stellar performances from world-class acts with beautiful outdoor locations to create an atmosphere like no other, Forest Live 2025 will take place at four forest venues: Forestry England Cannock Chase, Delamere, High Lodge, Thetford and Westonbirt Arboretum. Gary Barlow joins a selection of renowned global artists announced to perform as part of 2025’s Forest Live shows including the likes of Blossoms and Snow Patrol, who will also take to the Delamere Forest stage.
The Songbook Tour will celebrate Gary Barlow’s status as one of Britain’s most successful songwriters and record producers. As part of the group Take That, Gary Barlow, who is originally from Frodsham in Cheshire, has won eight BRIT Awards and sold over 45 million records. One of the band’s biggest hits, Back For Good, will turn 30 in March 2025. The track is still ranked as one of the UK’s favourite-ever pop songs having reached No.1 on its release in March 1995 and remaining top of the charts for four consecutive weeks, going on to become the band’s biggest-selling song of the ‘90s.
Aside from his achievements with Take That, he has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams, and most recently, he wrote the song Running Wild for JIN from Korean super group, BTS. At his Forest Live fixtures in Summer 2025, fans can expect Gary to perform plenty of fan favourites both from his time with Take That and his solo days, including Since I Saw You Last, Greatest Day, Rule the World, and the anthemic Never Forget.
Forestry England manage and care for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests and the money raised from Forest Live goes towards maintaining the beautiful natural areas for everyone to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees. Last year they planted some 7.4 million trees and welcomed 285 million visits in 2023/24.
As well as performing at Delamere Forest, Gary Barlow will also take to the stage of Manchester Apollo on May 8 and 9, 2025 as part of The Songbook Tour. Tickets for Gary Barlow at Forest Live will go on sale at 9.30am on Friday 29 November. Fans can sign up for information, announcements, and exclusive pre-sale access here.