Westlife Announce Australian and New Zealand Tour for 2027
Westlife, the iconic ’90s Irish boyband known for hits like Swear It Again, have announced an upcoming tour in Australia and New Zealand. This will be their first performance in Australia in two decades, marking a significant return for fans of the group.
The band shared the exciting news on social media, stating: “AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND. It’s been nearly 20 years since we saw you last and we are delighted to announce that we are bringing 25 – The Anniversary World Tour to you in July 2027!” They added, “Tickets go on sale 15th May at 2pm local time. We absolutely cannot wait to see you there.”
The tour will see the group performing in major cities including Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane in July 2027, followed by shows in Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand. Fans can expect to hear the band’s most beloved hits from the past 25 years.
“We have always loved coming back to this part of the world… the fans have always made our trips so memorable and special – you have the loudest fans in the world!” the band said. “The 25th anniversary show will be our most exciting and ambitious to date and of course, we will be performing all of the hits. Australia and New Zealand – we cannot wait to see you!”
Westlife has a massive following in Australia, where they have enjoyed chart-topping success with songs such as Flying Without Wings and Uptown Girl. Formed in 1998, the group originally consisted of Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, and Brian McFadden, who was later replaced by Delta Goodrem’s ex-boyfriend.
McFadden left the band in 2004, while Mark Feehily has been unable to perform due to health issues. As a result, only three of the original five members will be onstage during the tour. Mark announced in 2024 that he would be stepping back from the group indefinitely due to unspecified health problems. Although he will not appear on the tour, he is still featured on their latest album.
Speaking to The Mirror, Kian Egan said: “We’re devastated he won’t be joining us on this tour. We’ll be missing him every night just as much as the fans will. But he’s given us his full support. This is the 25th anniversary, it’s something that we all felt needed to be celebrated. We hope as soon as he’s ready he’ll be back with us and we look forward to that moment.”
The group broke fans’ hearts around the globe when they announced plans to disband in 2012 before pursuing solo careers. However, a successful return in 2018 saw them reform with the comeback single Hello My Love and the announcement of The Twenty Tour for 2019.
In June, Mark’s absence from the upcoming shows was announced. In a lengthy post, Westlife wrote: “To our amazing fans, We would like to take this opportunity to share some very important news with you all.” They added: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our 25th Anniversary celebrations… On the 9th February 2001 we kicked off our first ever tour at the Newcastle Arena. Who would have thought we would still be here 25 years later?”
“Sadly, Mark will be unable to join the celebrations. We hope he can join us back on stage when he is ready and able. He sends his love and positivity to you all as always. The four of us can’t quite believe it’s been 25 years. We are so lucky to have all of you with us and we can’t wait to celebrate together! Happy 25th To Us All! Love, Kian, Mark, Nicky & Shane x.”
