One of the world’s biggest boy bands, Westlife, will tour Australia next year for the first time in two decades. And while it’s taken them 20 years to return to our shores, the memories they made here from that previous visit quite literally left an imprint.
Speaking to news.com.au ahead of their Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour, which hits Australia in July 2027, members Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan excitedly recalled the last time they were Down Under, which included one “crazy night out” in Sydney’s Kings Cross getting tattoos.
“It’s been too long since we’ve been back to Australia. We’ve been wanting to do it for so long,” Byrne, 47, told us this week ahead of tickets going on sale on May 15. “But the 25th anniversary feels like the right time. And our families are going to come down, our children are going to come down, our wives, to take it all in and what a way to see the world.”
“We had that at 19 years of age. Myself and Kian got tattooed in Sydney on a crazy night out when we were 19,” Byrne laughed. “Let’s hope our 19-year-old kids don’t get tattooed when they come down to watch the show. They were great memories and we’re looking forward to returning.”
Egan, 46, shared more details of that memorable night out, revealing what tattoo he got and where.
“It was random. It was like we went to King’s Cross in Sydney and I got a Chinese symbol, which was supposed to mean spirit and soul,” he shared. “Well, I actually had it covered over with a different tattoo as the years rolled on … It was funny. I mean, it was pretty mad that we did it. It’s crazy. Nicky got a barbed wire-style.”
“Listen, in the ‘90s, it was very popular to have a little stamp across your back,” Byrne replied in his defence. “It’s not as popular today, but thankfully it’s in a place where nobody gets to see it.”
A return to Australia was always on the horizon for the Irish band and they are super excited to fulfil that dream next year when they perform on the Aussie leg of their global tour, playing for fans in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
“The whole 25th anniversary, it’s a very proud moment for us just as everything that we’ve done, everything we’ve been through as a band and we’re probably more excited now than we’ve ever been about being in Westlife and what’s going on around us,” Filan, 46, said. “Bringing this tour everywhere all over the world and getting back to Australia, it’s such a milestone for us and something that we’ve really wanted to happen for a long time.
“We kind of pinch ourselves sometimes, but 25 years is a big milestone and to see all the fans in person and bring this big show to them, which it’s going to be our biggest tour, also going to be our biggest show, our most visually spectacular show that we’ve ever done.”
Added Byrne: “This is 25 years, but its two hours of a show of memories, nostalgia, and that’s including us. We’re up there reliving our youth and our dreams. So it’s a very special feeling.”
The trio will perform a mammoth 150 shows worldwide in all corners of the globe, kicking it off with an unprecedented 13-night residency at 3Arena in their Dublin hometown in September before travelling to Asia, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The scope of their reach is testament to the loyal fan base the group have collected over their decades-long run, which not only saw them achieve 36 No.1 albums worldwide, but also hold the record for having the most number ones by any group (ranking only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles).
“We all grew up as young lads in Ireland wanting to be pop stars, looking at Michael Jackson, looking at New Kids on the Block, looking at all these people who you were like, ‘Wow, they get to sing for a living, be on stage. It must be a brilliant life.’ And we worked to get to that. We were very lucky,” Byrne said of their rise to record-breaking success.
The group began as a five-piece along with Brian McFadden and Mark Feehily. However, McFadden left to pursue a solo career in 2004, while Feehily bowed out of touring in 2024 due to health issues.
“We did look at our peers and we did look at New Kids and Take That, Boyzone, Backstreet or NSYNC and say, ‘We want to be like those guys and more.’ We want to stay around for longer. We want to keep recording songs, having hits,” Byrne added.
And they’ve certainly kept the momentum going all these years. Their upcoming tour marks their 16th tour and the coinciding new album, aptly titled 25 – released earlier this week – is a smorgasbord of smash hits along with four brand new tracks, two of which (the infectious Chariot and the nostalgic ballad Beautiful Life) was co-written by Ed Sheeran.
“Ed is a worldwide superstar and a phenomenal superstar. And we heard that he had grown up listening to Westlife songs and he had learned guitar playing Westlife music,” Egan told us.
“I think he champions us when he goes around the world. If people ask him about Westlife, he’s always saying how amazing we are. So to hear a superstar like that talk about us in such a good way is definitely a proud moment for us. We feel very lucky to have him in our corner.”
Sheeran even bought Westlife up onstage at his gig in Ipswich’s Portman Road Stadium in the UK last July to sing a duet of their hit song Flying Without Wings, which Sheeran told the audience is his favourite song of all time.
“It’s a very proud moment. And our kids were there and they got to meet him, and it was a really cool moment for us as well and a proud dad moment,” Filan recalled. “He is obviously one of the biggest stars in the world and he learned how to play the guitar to our music, which is incredible. So we’re very proud to be part of that story.”
“He’s such a really, really nice guy, a gentleman. But we sang Flying Without Wings to his home crowd, like 30,000 people and the place was just singing every single word. It was going nuts. It was a great night.”
The group are also fans of our very own Delta Goodrem, who they performed with on stage at The X Factor UK back in 2006.
“That’s actually one of my favourite duets we’ve ever done on TV on The X Factor with Delta. Such an amazing singer,” Byrne said as Filan added, “Beautiful singer”.
“It was very strange because Brian and Delta were dating at the time and Brian was in the dress room watching us perform with Delta and Delta was doing all the harmonies with us and Brian’s over there going, ‘Sounded great, guys. Sounded great,’” Byrne recalled.
“But she was brilliant and it’s a lovely song, All Out of Love by Air Supply. It was a great moment. Absolutely brilliant.”
So can fans expect an encore with Goodrem next year at one of Westlife’s Aussie shows?
“Who knows? I mean, obviously the shows are a little over a year away,” Byrne said. “That would be special to do that. Or Kylie Minogue. That would be incredible.”
Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour – Australian 2027 dates:
July 16 – RAC Arena, Perth
July 18 – Adelaide’s Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
July 21 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
July 23 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
July 26 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Tickets on sale Friday, May 15 at 12pm.
MasterCard Presale: Wednesday May, 13 at 12pm to Thursday May 14 at 12pm local.
Live Nation Presale: Thursday, May 14 at 1pm to Friday May 15 at 1pm.
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.com.au.
Originally published as Boy band Westlife recall ‘crazy night out’ in Sydney ahead of first Australian tour in 20 years