Critical response

The concerts in England and Ireland received mixed feedback from critics. Kitty Empire of The Observer was not impressed with the show at Windsor Hall. Empire wrote, "It's easy to sneer at boy bands, but always worth considering their appeal. It goes without saying that One Direction are slick, and often bland. With the exception of their persuasive No 1 single, "What Makes You Beautiful", their songs aren't wildly distinctive".^[14] For the concert at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London, James Robertson of Daily Mirror gave the band a positive review. He states, "The room shook with hair raising, ear drum piercing and (if there had been windows) glass-shattering screams. Each took a turn walking forward to embrace the cries from the sold-out Hammersmith Apollo while singing the lame-named Na, Na, Na. It was impossible to tell which one of the five boys had the biggest ovation but the loudest cheer came when Niall played acoustic guitar as they sang solo around an artificial camp fire".^[15] The show was positively reviewed by Alexandra Ryan of Evening Herald for the concert at Dublin's The O₂. She says, "They came, they saw, they conquered. Dreams came true for thousands of Irish female fans as their pop idols One Direction took to the stage at the O2. Swarms of screaming girls flocked to the sold-out venue last night as Zayn, Harry, Louis, Liam and Mullingar teen Niall Horan performed for 14,000 fans".^[16]

As the tour progressed to Oceania and North America, many critics remarked on the band's popularity and their singing abilities. For the Sydney concert at Hordern Pavilion, Mike Wass from Idolator felt One Direction's "surprisingly accomplished effort" of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" proved that they are "more than capable" of evolving their sound.^[17] Cameron Adams of Herald Sun wrote a positive review for the concert in Melbourne at the Hisense Arena. He assessed that One Direction represented a "cleverly cast pop band with plenty of personality unleashed at the perfect time and seizing their moment." He opined that the covers performed showcased "strong pop voices." Adams concluded as follows: "Who knows if they'll progress beyond the usual boy band lifespan. But for now they're making a lot of people very happy."^[18] Reviewing the concert in Fairfax at the Patriot Center, Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote: "Over the course of umpteen songs, its members didn't work the stage so much as loiter on it. They looked comfortable. No silly choreography, just a few ensemble fist-pumps. No ridiculous costumes, just letterman jackets, cardigans and khakis. A no-nonsense backing band — guitar, bass, keyboards and drums — provided steady renditions of nearly all of the songs on the group's debut album, "Up All Night", as well as a few covers, including Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" and Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn."^[19]

Lars Brandle of Billboard reviewed the concert at the BBEC Great Hall in Brisbane. Brandle predominantly noted the band's popularity: "To say 1D is the hottest boy-band on the scene, doesn't quite grasp the situation. "On fire" is closer to the mark." Brandle commended the show for being "all slick, clean fun".^[20] Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone highlighted the group's acoustic performances, which "showed off Horan's ability to play guitar, as well as One Direction's admirable live vocals". Futterman concluded that there "was no need to worry about a backing track or a bum note, a pleasant realisation at a pop show".^[21] Jane Stevenson from Canoe.ca maintained that the show at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto had "none of that choreographed dance move nonsense", and complimented the "naturally, classy, low-key" production.^[22] Melody Lau of National Post reviewed the same concert. Lau opined, "It's easy to get lost in inherent appeal of their perfectly coiffed dos and almost-too-put-together preppy style but somewhere in the midst of all the love-struck squeals of teenage girls are guys who can actually sing and, to a certain extent, entertain." Lau additionally noted One Direction's lack of original material to perform, "the group falls back on a handful of covers to fill in their set, including Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody", Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts" and, surprisingly, Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn". Not straying too far away from the originals, the mid-show medley definitely felt like the boys randomly belting out songs for the sake of filler but girls didn't mind."^[23]

Commercial performance

When tickets for the shows in the UK and Ireland went on sale, concerts reportedly became sell-outs within minutes.^[6] It was reported nearly 10,000 tickets were sold in 10 minutes for the band's shows in Auckland and Wellington.^[24] The sellout success continued in Australia. There, the band's shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane sold out in three minutes.^[25] Shows in the United States also sold out within minutes.^[26]

Box office score data