Westlife are marking their 25th anniversary in style, kicking off the celebrations at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall — and paying a heartfelt tribute to their absent bandmate, Mark Feehily.
Taking to the stage on Monday night, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne performed a show-stopping set alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, marking the beginning of their anniversary celebrations.
Though Mark was unable to join the group due to ongoing health issues, he was very much part of the night’s emotion and magic.
Before performing their timeless hit Flying Without Wings, a song long associated with Mark’s powerful lead vocals, Shane took a moment to address the crowd.
“I want to take a minute to talk about Mark, who unfortunately is not with us tonight. But we love him, we miss him, and we cannot wait to have him back on this stage with us,” he said, as the audience erupted in applause.
In a touching gesture, The Voice UK star Kirsten Joy joined the trio on stage to sing Mark’s parts on the song, his “favourite track,” according to Shane.
“So this next song, I want to dedicate it to Mark because it’s Mark’s favourite song.
“It’s a beautiful song. So tonight we’d like to dedicate it to him, and I’d like to invite Kirsten Joy down to sing it with us.”
Despite his absence, Shane reassured fans that Mark remains “very much part of the band,” confirming that he features on their new single ‘Chariot’ and upcoming album 25 – The Ultimate Collection, due out February 13, 2026.
To mark 25 years together, Westlife unveiled plans for a massive world tour, including a residency in Dublin’s 3Arena, where they will play a total of 13 nights.
They will also play five nights in the SSE Arena next year as well.
Talk about busy!
