One Direction Announce First-Ever Headlining North American Tour

NEW YORK, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pop sensation One Direction will be hitting the road for their first-ever headlining North American tour in support of their debut album UP ALL NIGHT. The tour kicks off May 24th in Fairfax, VA and includes stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas and more (see below for full dates). For ticket information visit www.livenation.com or www.onedirectionmusic.com.

One Direction made history today as their debut album UP ALL NIGHT entered the US Billboard 200 chart at #1 with over 176,000 copies sold. This makes chart history as the first British group ever to debut at #1 in the US with their debut album release. UP ALL NIGHT went straight to No.1 on the digital chart within minutes of its official release last Tuesday March 13th.

One Direction gained notoriety in 2010 after appearing on the X-Factor UK. Their global smash debut album, Up All Night, entered the charts at #1 in 12 countries and has been certified triple platinum in Ireland, double platinum in the UK & Australia, and platinum in New Zealand. Their BRIT Award winning debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" entered the charts at #1 in both the UK and Ireland. In the U.S., "What Makes You Beautiful" sold more than 131,000 copies in its first week, debuting at #12 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart. Their #28 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 marked the highest debut from a British Group's debut single since the Spice Girls in 1998. 

Later this month One Direction will perform their hit single "What Makes You Beautiful" on the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards March 31st, and will appear in an episode of iCarly "iGo One Direction" set to premiere April 7th on Nickelodeon. The band will also be the musical guests on Saturday Night Live April 7th with guest host Sofia Vergara.

One Direction are Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. All of the group hail from the U.K., save for Horan, who is from Ireland. All five of the boys (ages 18-20) auditioned for the UK X Factor in 2010 as solo artists. However, at the suggestion of Simon Cowell they joined forces as a group, quickly becoming one of the competitions most popular acts of all time, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic fan-base along the way.

UP ALL NIGHT  is available now  
iTunes: http://bit.ly/sGhR74    
Amazon: http://amzn.to/sQrNrW    
Amazon (Deluxe Yearbook Edition): http://amzn.to/vfxzwF                                                                    

*more dates to be announced

For more info visit  
http://www.onedirectionmusic.com     
http://www.bring1dtous.com    
www.livenation.com

Syco Entertainment is a leading global music, television, film and digital production company. Syco is a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, with offices in London and Los Angeles. Syco's television and music assets include leading global franchises The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth. 

About Columbia Records: One of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

The X Factor was created by Syco Television and is co-produced by Syco and Fremantle Media. Artists discovered by The X Factor format have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 110 number ones, 270 top 10, and 501 top 50 releases. The X Factor first launched in 2004 in the UK on ITV1. The X Factor has been the number one show in the UK for eight years, with the 2010 finale achieving a peak of 21.2 million viewers, and a 65% share. The 2011 finale, held at Wembley Arena in front of a live audience of 12,000, was the most watched TV show of the year, with a bigger audience than the Royal Wedding. Local versions of The X Factor air in 32 countries. 

The X Factor launched in the US in fall 2011 on Fox, immediately becoming the number one unscripted show of the season.  The X Factor also gave Fox victory in the November "sweep" among adults aged 18 to 49 for only the second time in the network's history. The US version airs in 162 countries. Around the world, The X Factor has increased the average demographic for many broadcasters by up to 250%. 

SOURCE Columbia Records