Westlife have said they want fans to "feel like they've had the best night of their lives" at their upcoming 25th anniversary gigs, which kick off at Dublin's 3Arena next year.
On Friday, the Irish boyband announced a series of gigs at Dublin and Belfast in September and October 2026 as part of a world tour marking 25 years of Westlife. The band said the tour will "run for the guts of two years" with "more venues to be announced, more cities to be announced".
Speaking to RTÉ's Arts and Media Correspondent Evelyn O'Rourke at the 3Arena, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, and Kian Egan admitted they were feeling "nervous excitement" about launching their anniversary world tour.
Watch: Westlife - "We are very excited about this"
"We're kicking off our 25th anniversary world tour with the residency here in the 3Arena. We played the venue a few years ago, and we felt different coming off stage after," Filan said.
"To do multiple nights here - we're gonna be a lot closer to the fans. It's just gonna be a bit more exciting. We could do more stuff with the show production-wise, and it's going to be special."
Called The Residency, their first run of concerts will take place from Tuesday, 22 to Saturday, 26 September 2026 at Dublin's 3Arena.
"We started off doing small nightclubs in Sligo to now here we are, playing places like Croke Park, and now we're coming indoors to the 3Arena," Egan said. "We just want fans to come in and feel like they've had the best night of their lives.
"The first thing that starts with that is always the set list. The second thing is what goes on around us, which is the hardest thing to get right. We want the show to be spectacular, and we feel like we've an amazing team behind us to help us do that.
"But you know, you've also got to be careful that you don't spend all the money! It's going to be an incredible show."
Egan admitted that you "have to be ambitious" when creating a live show for fans.
"You see all these shows around the world, and some people are putting on amazing shows. We have to live up to that now, but we feel like we have the ability to do it," he said.
"I think the performance that we can put on and the songs that we have - that's really what it's all about. We're just so lucky to have such amazing songs. We'll get it right - it's going to be amazing."
Byrne said the band's fiercely loyal fanbase "constantly surprise" them.
"From the early days of 2001/2002 - they were little kids on their mother's and father's shoulders, trying to touch us from the stage. And now those kids are women with their own marriages, their own kids, bringing their own kids along. Their husbands have joined in, their boyfriends or girlfriends, it's a real family event," he said.
"We always knew that we had that support in Ireland, which we never take for granted, which we consistently tried to fly the flag proudly, and there was no other place than Dublin and Belfast to start this world tour.
"We just feel so lucky, we really do, after all this time. We've been through so much as a band. Our parents, those that are still alive, are very proud of us, and those who aren't, I'm sure are looking down on us, who have shared all these moments with us."
Fourth Westlife member Mark Feehily announced last year that he would be stepping back from the band due to ongoing health issues.
Filan said he's still an important part of the band.
"He's unable to join the tour, unfortunately, as he's mentioned already, but being on the new songs is very important," Filan said.
"He's still a member of this band and he's sounding great on the new songs, with an album coming after Christmas, a greatest hits compilation with four new songs.
"The new song, which is out next Friday, is a really upbeat tune, and it's great to have him on there."
