An Evening with Michael Bublé Spans the World
In 2019, the pop singer filled some of the largest arenas in the world and in 2020 his plan is to do it all over again. The kid inside him just doesn't wanna stop.
By David Farrell
With stars on both Hollywood's and Canada’s Walk of Fame, 14 Junos, four Grammys, a World Music Award and 75M records sold internationally, Michael Bublé’s profile on the world stage is just plain enormous. In 2020, he is capitalizing on his name recognition with concerts set across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Mexico, and North America.
To get a sense of his impact, his 2019 An Evening With…tour will have played 100 shows in 28 countries when it comes to a stop at London’s O2 arena where he performs for two nights, Dec. 9 and 10.
The 02 concerts follow his having filled the UK’s largest stadium for three consecutive nights May 30-June 1, where he sold 44.5K tickets for a box-office gross of US$4.6M (about $6.1M Canadian).
His shows include a 30+-piece orchestra, and his concerts earn the kinds of reviews that money can’t buy. Upon completion of his December 9 show at the O2, Bublé is to be presented with an award only 7 artists have received - a “21 Club” key for playing the arena 21 times.
Undeniably he is one of the hardest working singers on the international stage. On Feb. 1, he performs with the orchestra at New Zealand’s Mission Estate Vineyard amphitheatre, a 25,000-capacity theatre that attracts top-line acts, such as Elton John, to its summer series.
Feb. 4-12, Bublé is in Australia for eleven nights that include three in Melbourne at the 10,300-capacity Rod Laver Arena, two at Sydney’s 12,000-capacity Qudos Bank Arena, and two at the 6,500-capacity Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Then he's in Mexico for two nights at Mexico City’s 22,300-capacity Arena Ciudad De Mexico, and one at the 17,500-seat Arena Monterrey in Nuevo Leon.
In March, Bublé starts a 27-date North American tour that runs through May. The only Canadian stops are Halifax at the 11,300-seat Scotiabank Centre and Moncton's 8,800-capacity Avenir Centre.
His itinerary has him off in June and then back at work in July and August for 10 shows in the UK, July 24 through Aug. 7. The stops are set in some idyllic locations too, such as an outdoor concert at Warwick Castle, the medieval fortress first built by William the Conqueror in 1068 and situated in the town of Warwick at a bend in the River Avon. Another outdoor concert is set on the grounds of the 18th century baronial Harewood House, an imposing summer palace with gardens that have appeared in countless TV shows and movies and served as the backdrop for some of J.M.W Turner’s most famous watercolour paintings.
Summarizing the year, manager Bruce Allen said yesterday that "the tour has been an overwhelming success everywhere Michael has been. After being off the road for four years, the response to this tour is a testament to his music and his stage performances. The public is thrilled that he’s back!”
And 2020 promises to be as strong a year for the pop star who has come far since his 2000 appearance at Caroline Mulroney's Montreal wedding reception where guest David Foster spotted him singing Mack the Knife.
