°C-ute to disband

UPDATED °C-ute will disband in June of 2017 at Saitama Super Arena.

The news was broken first by Nikkan Sports.

UP-FRONT PROMOTION Representative Director Takeshi Nishiguchi made a statement confirming the news:

Thank you for your continued support for Hello! Project and ℃-ute.

On June 2017, ℃-ute will breakup after the Saitama Super Arena performance.

On February of this year, when all the members were at least 20 years old, there had been a discussion about the future of ℃-ute and each member. At that time, all the members of ℃-ute aimed to their goal, doing their best as a group. And last month, they have been told about the decision of a Saitama Super Arena performance in June of next year. After this, there has been a discussion: “For us, ℃-ute, this Saitama Super Arena is our goal, and until this day, we will rush with all our power and after we want to walk respectively in our own path”.

(…)

Concerning the activities from now, ℃-ute main activity will be to be in direct contact with many people during lives, etc. Since there will be a period of around 3 months by thinking of rehearsals, performances schedule, ℃-ute will not take part of the Hello! Project tour which will start from January 2017. From now on, the detailed schedule and the individual activities after the breakup will be announced as soon as there will be decided.

°C-ute themselves also made statement, translated by UP-FRONT LINK:

Thank you for your continued support of Hello! Project and ℃-ute.

Today, we have an announcement for everyone. In June next year, we, ℃-ute, will realize the dream of performing at Saitama Super Arena. And this stage will be our last one because we will break up after.

(…)

When Saitama Super Arena’s performance had been decided, the 5 of us talked with the staff of the company, and we concluded on the fact that at the end of Saitama Super Arena, we will fulfill our individual goals and dreams after that.

Concerning the future, there were 3 options. First one, graduating from Hello! Project and as ℃-ute, continuing activities in a different stance. Second one, suspension of activities. And the third one is the one we decided, breaking up.

(…)

Every year, Hello! Project Concert tour takes place in summer and winter and the current “Hello! Project 2016 SUMMER 〜Sunshine Parade～/〜Rainbow Carnival 〜” is the last one we will take part in. Until the Saitama Super Arena performance, ℃-ute members will as much as possible do their activities together and send their gratitude nationwide to all the fans.

Please support ℃-ute until the end. And please continue to support Hello! Project from now on as well.