Girls Aloud are reuniting for a greatest hits tour.
The surviving members of the group - Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh - are planning to hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they and the late Sarah Harding won 'Popstars: The Rivals'.
However, the group have not recorded new music but just want to celebrate their back catalogue.
Cheryl revealed they had been discussing the plans for some time but put the idea on ice when Sarah - who died in September 2021 - was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said in a statement: "We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.
"But when Sarah fell ill all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon."
The group plan to use the tour to "celebrate" their late friend.
Cheryl added: "But now, I think there is an energy that does makes it feel right. It’s the right time to celebrate Sarah, it’s the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. That’s a big honour in lots of ways.”
Kimberley said: "Over the last year, we've felt this outpouring of love – obviously towards Sarah, but actually towards all of us as a group. And I guess it's ignited something in all of us again. It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn't celebrate at the time."
The group hope fans will enjoy the tour just as much as them.
Nadine said: "Girls Aloud are a band that made such a huge impact on people's lives. We grew up with the band, but so did so many other people. So for us not to do something again feels like such a shame and a waste. We want to have that moment with fans where we can all enjoy it together."
Nicola added: "I think what's really encouraging is that whenever people ask us about reuniting it's not, 'Would you guys ever do it?' but 'When are you guys gonna do it?'
"To know we still have that love from our fans and people who watched us grow up gives us the confidence to do the tour. It will be massive celebration of everything we've done up to this point. We want people to leave being like, 'Wow, I've just had one of the best nights of my life.'
Tickets will go on pre-sale on Wednesday 29 November at 9am, with the general on sale Friday 1 December at 9am, all via girlsaloud.com.
'The Girls Aloud Show' arena tour dates are:
18 May – 3Arena Dublin
20 May - SSE Arena Belfast
23 May – Manchester AO Arena
24 May – Manchester AO Arena
27 May - Cardiff Utilita Arena
31 May - Newcastle Utilita Arena
1 June - Newcastle Utilita Arena
4 June - Aberdeen P+J Live
8 June - Glasgow OVO Hydro
12 June - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
15 June - Leeds First Direct Arena
18 June - Birmingham Resorts World Arena
22 June - London The O2
23 June – London The O2
29 June - Liverpool M+S Bank Arena
