Iconic kids entertainers The Wiggles bring musical adventure to Hamilton

Australia’s award-winning group The Wiggles are ready to get children and families wiggling and singing along when their North American tour stops in Hamilton for two shows on Oct. 1.

The band – the obsession of countless preschool kids around the world for over 30 years – will perform the shows at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton on Sunday.

The Wiggles Ready Steady, Wiggle! Tour has some tickets left, though most of the 2,000-plus seats for each show have already been snapped up. Tickets are $60, including fees and taxes.

The venue requires all people 13 years of age and under to be accompanied by someone at least 16 years old.

Children under the age of one don’t require a ticket but they must sit on a guardian’s lap.

The Wiggles star in a new season of Ready, Steady, Wiggle! It’s the first series to feature the expanded lineup  – Lachy Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Anthony Field, Tsehay Hawkins, Caterina Mete, Evie Ferris, John Pearce and Lucia Field. The show also features characters such as Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Paloma the Mermaid.

“We can’t wait to introduce families to our exciting new series of Ready, Steady, Wiggle!,” said founder Anthony Field on the entertainers’ official website. “With eight Wiggles, four male and four female, our cast is gender-balanced to ensure that children can see themselves reflected on screen. With over 50 songs, including brand new tunes and classic favorites, there’s plenty of singing and dancing to have audiences Wiggling along!”

Anthony Field created the group in 1991 because he wanted to make a children’s album.

Among its achievements, the band has sold over 30 million albums and DVDs and eight million books. It has over two billion music streams and three billion views on YouTube. The Wiggles have won 18 gold, 13 platinum, 3 double platinum and 10 multi-platinum awards, and a record 15 Australian Recording Industry Association Awards for Best Children’s Album. The group was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, according to its website.

The Wiggles noted the following as their mission: “Children are their inspiration; Education their goal; music and movement is their way.”