One Direction mania will keep its grip on America’s teens and tweens well into the summer. The U.K. pop vocal sensations announced on Wednesday they’ll headline their first-ever North American Tour, starting May 24 in Fairfax, Va. and sweeping through arenas and large theaters in cities ranging from New York, Toronto and Los Angeles and many points in between.
The quintet made history this week on the Billboard 200 as the first U.K. group to bow at No. 1 with their debut album on Columbia’s “Up All Night.” The album’s lead single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 a month ago.
In the past two weeks, the five-piece have charmed American audiences on multiple television appearances — 10,000 screaming fans showed for NBC’s “Today on March 12 — and they are slated to make a splash on “Saturday Night Live” on April 7.
Formed on the 2010 edition of the U.K. version of “X Factor,” One Direction comprises Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. All of the group members hail from the U.K., save for Horan, who is from Ireland. The act has nabbed three top three U.K. singles and its debut album hit No. 2 in November 2011.
They aren’t exactly novices to the U.S. touring circuit, having just wrapped a 10-date trip opening for Big Time Rush.
So far, 21 dates on the tour have been announced with more planned. Tickets go on sale March 24.
Source: Billboard.Com