Live Review: Westlife – 10th October 2026 – The O2 Arena, London, UK

London’s O2 Arena has played host to some of pop music’s most colossal celebrations, but few moments carry the sheer nostalgic weight of welcoming Irish pop royalty Westlife back to the capital. Celebrating a monumental double milestone – 25 years since their very first headline tour and 27 years since the original five-piece outfit (which, during those early years, included Bryan McFadden) first captured the world’s heart – Saturday night’s stop on Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour felt less like a standard arena concert and more like a triumph of enduring showmanship from a tight band of brothers.

The current tour sees Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne taking to the stage as a trio while fellow lead vocalist Mark Feehily sits out the run due to ongoing health issues. While Feehily’s signature powerhouse vocals were undeniably missed by the thousands packed into the venue over the 3 sold out nights in the city – especially during the groups delivery of Feehily-led megahit, Flying Without Wings, the remaining three members stepped up to the plate with warm camaraderie, effortless charm, and a pitch-perfect vocal execution that proved why the group remains the UK & Ireland’s top-selling album group of the 21st century.

From the very second the O2 house lights dimmed, the production set an extravagant benchmark. An incredible opening video shoiwing snippets of videos form the bands 25 years together gave way to a golden confetti shower and spectacular bursts of sparks as the trio made their entrance with their Ed Sheeran-penned hit, Hello My Love. The crowd – a passionate mix of lifelong fans who have championed the group since 1999 alongside younger generations-erupted, setting a positive tone for the rest of the night.

Without missing a beat, the group launched straight into a sequence of global chart-toppers. The infectious optimism of Uptown Girl turned the floor into a massive dance party, quickly followed by the pristine pop harmonies of World of Our Own and the catchy bounce of Bop Bop Baby. A stirring rendition of Daughtry’s What About Now highlighted Shane Filan’s vocals before the tempo was raised again with When You’re Looking Like That – a performance elevated by giant bursts of flames and an exhilarating guitar solo interpolating Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine right in the middle – easily one of the highlight songs of the night.

What elevates a Westlife arena show beyond simple nostalgic singalongs is their commitment to visual storytelling. The quiet introspection of What Makes a Man provided a delicate breather before an inspired performance of ABBA’s I Have a Dream, accompanied by stunning visual backdrops depicting a boy in a boat navigating a mythical sea was absolutely stunning.

The energy surged once more for I Lay My Love on You before Starlight delivered one of the visually striking moments of the night, featuring sharp laser arrays intersecting with multi-coloured flames launching high into the arena air.

A particularly heartfelt highlight arrived with Queen of My Heart, which served as a glowing homage to their roots, backed by beautifully painted visual landscapes of Ireland across the massive LED screens that sat enourmously behind the group as they performed. Shortly after, the band showcased their new single Chariot. The backdrop transformed into a warm, country-inspired bar scene featuring framed family portraits on the walls, underscoring the track’s life-affirming theme of love and family and a nod to those family members in the crowd including Kian’s wife who he paid a touching tribute to mid-show.

Taking a brief detour to the B-stage in the center of the arena, the band offered fans an up-close and personal moment that highlighted their musical versatility. During Fool Again, Shane picked up an acoustic guitar while Kian took his seat behind a full drum kit, giving the pop classic an organic, live-band dynamic that drew rapturous applause.

Remaining at the B-stage, the trio delivered my personal favourite, If I Let You Go followed by an emotional performance of My Love, which reached a crescendo as streams of Irish flag-themed green, white, and orange confetti descended over the audience.

Returning to the main stage for the home stretch, the band leaned heavily into the timeless anthems that have earned them over 3 billion global streams and 14 UK No.1 singles. The soaring key changes of Unbreakable led seamlessly into their celebrated cover of Scott English’s Mandy, before the choir-backed majesty of Flying Without Wings brought the main set to a triumphant close.

Returning for a well-deserved encore, the group closed out the night with the back-to-back powerhouse pairing of You Raise Me Up and their debut 1999 single Swear It Again, bringing 27 years of chart history full circle.

Westlife’s 25th Anniversary performance at London’s O2 Arena was a masterclass in arena pop. Combining high-concept production, tight vocal harmonies, and a setlist packed with timeless hits, Shane, Kian, and Nicky delivered an unforgettable evening that paid tribute to their past while proving their live legacy remains as vibrant as ever.

Setlist:
Hello My Love
Uptown Girl
World of Our Own
Bop Bop Baby
What About Now (Daughtry cover)
When You’re Looking Like That
What Makes a Man
I Have a Dream (ABBA cover)
I Lay My Love on You
Starlight
Queen of My Heart
Chariot
Fool Again
If I Let You Go
My Love
Unbreakable
Mandy (Scott English cover)
Flying Without Wings
You Raise Me Up (Secret Garden cover)
Swear It Again

Brendon Veevers

RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder

Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.

Over the years he has been lucky enough to review hundreds of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb, Tori Amos and iconic, late Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.

Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK.