Cover Westlife will be coming to Hong Kong in 2027 for their 25th anniversary tour (Photo: courtesy of Sands China/Ka Kam)
Westlife will be coming to Hong Kong in 2027 for their 25th anniversary tour (Photo: courtesy of Sands China/Ka Kam)
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Ahead of Westlife’s ’25th Anniversary World Tour’ stop at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Arena, band member Nicky Byrne reflects on two decades of memories, their enduring connection with Asian fans and why live music will never be replaced
Formed in Sligo, Ireland, in 1998, Westlife quickly established themselves as one of the most successful boy bands in pop history. With global hits like Swear It Again, If I Let You Go, Flying Without Wings, My Love and their famous rendition of Uptown Girl, the group dominated international charts throughout the late 1990s and 2000s. Following a sensational 14-year run, the group disbanded in 2012 before orchestrating a triumphant global reunion in 2018.
As part of their Westlife 25th Anniversary World Tour, the Irish pop icons return to Hong Kong for a highly anticipated concert at AsiaWorld-Arena on January 27, 2027. Ahead of the show, band member Nicky Byrne sat down to discuss two decades of visiting the city, how they adapt their classic hits for 2026, and his perspective on digital music and artificial intelligence.
Above Westlife performing in Kaohsiung (Photo: courtesy of Live Nation Taiwan)
Westlife performing in Kaohsiung (Photo: courtesy of Live Nation Taiwan)
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You and the band have been visiting Hong Kong for over two decades. What is it about the city that makes it an essential stop on your world tours?
It’s a great vibe. You feel the energy the moment you land. It’s everything from the harbour and the small streets filled with bars, restaurants and karaoke to high-end shopping. We have so many great memories from around 1999 or 2000 when we first visited—it was our very first taste of Asia as 19- or 20-year-old kids.
What always strikes me about Hong Kong is the sheer loyalty of the fans. During the Sars period, when the city opened back up, we were the first international band to play a concert down by the harbour. Even when we split up in 2012, the fans kept in touch via social media during our solo projects. When we return to celebrate 25 years, it is going to be incredibly special.
What can fans expect from the upcoming Hong Kong show? How do you curate a setlist that balances nostalgia with modern performance?
We sit down and treat it like creating a piece of art or putting a jigsaw together. In music recently, nostalgia has become very important—people love to relive their youth, including us.
We work with our musical directors and show producers to look at songs like Uptown Girl or Swear It Again and ask how to present them in 2026. When you put a live band on stage with live drums, guitars and vocals, it instantly sounds fresh. At the same time, you never want to deviate too far from the original melody because fans are coming to relive specific childhood memories. We ensure all the iconic hits—My Love, What Makes a Man, World of Our Own and Seasons in the Sun—are delivered at the highest production level.
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Above Westlife performing in Kaohsiung (Photo: courtesy of Live Nation Taiwan)
Westlife performing in Kaohsiung (Photo: courtesy of Live Nation Taiwan)
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Beyond Westlife, group members have pursued individual careers in television, radio and solo music. How have those external experiences shaped your approach as a band?
Our first 14 years were so intense that none of us ventured outside the band. When the band ended in 2012, it was vital to find your own identity. I hosted radio, presented TV, released a solo album, and launched my podcast. Finding your own feet builds resilience. When Westlife reunited seven years later, we brought that maturity back with us. It makes you appreciate the band even more while keeping your feet on the ground.
How do you view the rise of streaming platforms and artificial intelligence in the music industry?
I grow with the business because otherwise you become a dinosaur. While I miss the tangible experience of buying CDs, reading lyric booklets and studying album thank-yous, I appreciate the instant convenience of streaming.
AI is an interesting frontier. We actually experimented with an AI model in China that translated our vocals into Mandarin. Years prior, we spent hours on Zoom learning a Mandarin song phonetically for a broadcast show, which was very hard work! With the AI test, the vocal likeness was uncanny.
However, AI can never replicate a live performance or a real concert experience. A machine doesn't have a soul or a true human sensibility. The capacity to meaningfully connect on stage with an audience is a distinctly human element that technology will never replace.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
