Little Mix are set to grace the stage at Colchester United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium next year, the club have announced.

The global pop stars, who were the first and only group to win the X-Factor, are playing the stadium as part of a run of UK summer shows throughout July 2018.

Their busy run of 15 performances, which kicks off at Hove on July 6 and ends in Inverness on July 29, will see them visit Colchester on Sunday, July 8.

This will be the fourth music concert the ground has hosted following hugely successful performances by Elton John, Lionel Richie and Olly Murs.

The club’s general manager Tim Waddington said the phones hadn’t stopped ringing since the news was announced.

“It’s huge. It’s ginormous,” he said.

“The phones haven’t stopped ringing.

“There’s an appetite for this kind of concert, for this kind of entertainment in the area.

“It’s an exciting week for the summer. To have some fun in the sun.”

The girl band, best known for their hits Touch, Shout Out to my Ex and Wings, have just released a platinum version of their fourth studio album Glory Days.

The album spent five weeks at the top of the UK album chart when it was first released in 2016, becoming the longest reigning number one album from any girl group since the Spice Girls’ debut two decades ago.

Tickets for the performance at the Weston Homes Community Stadium go on sale at 9.30am on Thursday, November 30, and are expected to be in high demand.

Laura Davidson from Colchester said on Twitter: “Since when did Colchester become so popular with music stars?! We’ve had Elton John, Lionel Ritchie and Olly Murs in recent years too!”

Mr Waddington said he was delighted the club has had the chance to stage big performances and give something to the local community.

He said: “It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase what we do.

“We are a community stadium.

“It’s important that the community get value from us.”

He added that there had been interest in the concert from people of all different ages.

Visit the group’s website at www.little-mix.com for further details on ticket sales.