It’s confirmed: One of many UK’s high superstars, a performer who was voted greatest British songwriter of all time, will take the stage onboard a P&O Cruises’ ship twice in fall 2024 to carry out charity exhibits. Gary Barlow, former frontman of the band Take That, would be the star musician on two cruises from Southampton.
Gary Barlow Is Slated to Entertain on Iona
P&O Cruises has revealed that Gary Barlow will carry out two charity concert events onboard Iona in September and October 2024, with ticket proceeds to profit two organizations, Teenage Most cancers Belief, and Youngster Bereavement UK.
Barlow is a singer, songwriter, document producer, and TV persona, and was lead singer of Take That from 1990 to 1996. He developed a wildly profitable solo profession, and in 2009 was voted greatest British songwriter of all time.
Barlow additionally is understood for serving as a choose on the hit TV present “The X Issue” and has received eight BRIT Awards and bought over 45 million information.
The performer is the music director and the inspiration behind the P&O Cruises’ adult-only music lounge, 710 Membership, onboard Iona and Arvia. The dwell music venue highlights up-and-coming musicians, and is understood for its classic vibe and trendy cocktails. Tickets for Barlow’s performances will probably be supplied as raffle tickets for £10 ($13 US), and might solely be bought onboard.
“I’m so proud to be P&O Cruises’ music director and I can’t wait to be again onboard Iona to placed on two extra nights of unique performances for visitors,” stated Gary Barlow, the award-winning UK singer-songwriter.
“There’s one thing magical about sharing my ardour for music with the visitors onboard while fundraising for 2 unimaginable charities,” added Barlow.
P&O Cruises, one in all 9 Carnival Company manufacturers, caters to the UK market with a five-ship fleet.
Each of Barlow’s performances will probably be held aboard 14-night cruises working roundtrip from Southampton. The primary departure is on September 21, 2024, a Spain, Portugal, and Canary Islands crusing, with port calls at Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Seville (from Cádiz), and Lisbon. Cruise fares are from £1199 ($1,524 US).
The second departure, a Spain and Portugal cruise, is on October 5, 2024, calling at La Coruna, Vigo, Lisbon, Valencia, Barcelona, and Seville. Fares begin at £899 ($1,140 US).
The cruise line famous that P&O Cruises’ Meals Hero, José Pizarro, a Spanish movie star chef referred to as the grasp of tapas, will probably be aboard the September crusing. It additionally identified that Barlow won’t be onboard Iona at some stage in the voyages, and his journey dates might be topic to alter.
Barlow’s performances will probably be held in Iona’s Headliners Theater, with its eye-popping LED backdrop. The singer has a longstanding relationship with the ship, since he carried out at Iona’s christening ceremony in 2021. He headlined a spectacular laser present and sang two songs, “Best Day” and “Rule the World” in the course of the occasion in Southampton.
Iona Will Enter Dry Dock in 2025
Iona, a 184,000-gross ton, 5,200-passenger Excel-class ship, debuted in the course of the pandemic in 2020, however her maiden voyage was not held till 2021. Constructed on the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, Iona was the primary LNG-powered British cruise ship and the biggest ever constructed for the UK market.
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The cruise line earlier this month introduced that Iona’s deliberate dry dock in March 2025 was being delayed till October 2025, and consequently, two scheduled cruises, on October 4 and 18, have been cancelled.
The ship was to depart October 4, 2025 on a 14-night roundtrip voyage from Southampton to Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. Her October 18, 2025 crusing, additionally roundtrip from Southampton, was a 7-night cruise to Hamburg, Germany; Rotterdam, Holland; and Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Just a few days later, P&O Cruises revealed it had added two voyages in March 2025, because the ship’s dry dock was postponed.
