The sell-out European/North American tour ran from February to August 1998, after which it returned to the UK in September 1998 for a series of stadium shows.

The tour saw the group perform to an estimated 2.1 million fans over 97 total shows, covering the UK, continental Europe and North America.

[citation needed] In New York City, the group set the record for the quickest ever sell-out, selling 13,000 tickets for Madison Square Garden in less than 12 minutes.

"[12] The Spice Girls quickly released a statement which stated that the North American leg of the tour would continue as planned with the remaining group members.

[6] Against a futuristic space-age themed backdrop, the show began with a CGI video introduction of a spaceship flying through the galaxy.

[15] They entered the stage performing "If U Can't Dance", followed by "Who Do You Think You Are", which included an introduction sample from Club 69's "Diva" and RuPaul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)".

Kenny Ho, their stylist and costume designer, dressed the group in '60s themed clothing to fit the Motown-influenced song.

[14] In their next performance of "Viva Forever", all five group members were dressed in white clothing,[14] as their costume designer Ho wanted their outfits to reflect a sense of purity and spirituality to fit the song.

[14] The show ended with a '70s theme, with each group member dressed in a colour scheme arranged by their costume designer Ho to fit their style and character.

[16] Total attendance for the Spiceworld Tour was estimated to be 2.1 million over the 97 shows in the UK, mainland Europe and North America.

Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "[t]heir energy and dedication were sincere, even though the music was all unconvincing dance grooves and slick soul-pop, lightly seasoned with funk, hip-hop and rock by a bland six-piece band.

[...] These numbers are exuberant, direct and immediately likeable, and they've turned a group of hard-working but only moderately gifted performers into stars.

For one thing, the Spice Girls have managed to carve out a niche as a pop group that even moms can love, and they offered just enough nostalgia to keep beleaguered parents happy.

When Baby Spice embarked on a solo version of The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go", or when the group launched into a spirited take on the Annie Lennox-Aretha Franklin duet "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves", you could see the mothers in the crowd jump up in appreciation.

[22] Originally, Molly Dineen was meant to film a behind-the-scenes documentary with the Spice Girls during their American leg of the tour.

[23] She was replaced by Ian Denyer who directed the documentary, broadcast on Channel 4 and subsequently released on VHS under the title Spice Girls In America: A Tour Story.

[24][25] The final show at Wembley Stadium was broadcast live on 20 September 1998 on Sky Box Office and presented by Dani Behr and Georgie Stait.