Pop princess Britney Spears wows Scarborough crowd

Open Air Theatre promoter Cuffe and Taylor may have brought pop icon Britney Spears to Scarborough but they couldn't keep the rain away.
Britney in ScarboroughBritney in Scarborough
Britney in Scarborough

But the typical British weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the thousands of gig-goers who descended on the seaside town to see her Piece of Me tour.

Despite thousands queueing from the theatre’s entrance down to the seafront (and back again), there was still disbelief that they were hours away from Britney appearing on a stage in Scarborough!

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There had been a buzz around the town all day, if not all week, as the countdown to the pop princess’ arrival intensified.

Britney SpearsBritney Spears
Britney Spears

The sellout crowd at the outdoor theatre, which now holds a capacity of around 8,500, were queued down to the seafront as locals and those who had travelled for hours waited eagerly.

Support act, Pitbull, had the crowd dancing in seconds and with the American rapper’s catchy numbers, such as ‘Timber’, ‘Give Me Everything’ and ‘On the Floor’, he more than warmed up the crowd ready for the main act.

Following an intense, theatrical build-up Britney Spears emerged to roaring cheers and the following 90 minutes was a high energy, all-singing, all-dancing, showbiz whirlwind.

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Surrounded by her team of dancers, the performance was perfectly polished as Britney soared through pop classics such as ‘Baby One More Time’, ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ and ‘Womaniser’.

The crowd was with Britney all the way but it was ‘Toxic’, ‘Stronger’ and ‘Crazy’ which received the biggest response with arms, phones and drinks flying through the air.

Her performance was slick. With multiple set and costume changes throughout the night, the high-tech show was the biggest production to take place on the Open Air Theatre stage.

Although she lacked some interaction with the crowd, it didn’t appear to have an effect on the bopping and cheering fans covered in glitter, sequins, gems and ... rain.

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The Open Air Theatre has brought some big acts to the town including Sir Elton John seven years ago and Lionel Richie who opened this year’s summer season.

But there’s never been such a hype than when it was announced that the international icon was heading this way in January.

Her four-year residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and Las Vegas - a show which sold one million tickets - won rave reviews securing her comeback.

And although the star didn’t mention the word Scarborough throughout her time on the town’s stage, instead saying ‘Hello UK’, a reoccurring theme of conversation among many at the concert was the bewildering and exciting experience of seeing the superstar on their stage.

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Walking out, there was a stream of smiling faces with many commenting on the 36-year-old’s fitness and dancing ability. For some they spoke of how amazing the experience was - a night they will never forget.

•Britney Spears is due to perform in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Birmingham.

She will also be performing at Tower Festival Headland in Blackpool on September 1.