Westlife paid tribute to missing bandmate Mark Feehily as they celebrated their 25th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday night (27.10.25).
Westlife performing at the Royal Albert Hall
The Irish boy band played the first of two sold out nights at the iconic venue in the UK capital but took to the stage as a trio – Shane Filan, Nicky Bryne and Kian Egan – following Mark’s decision last year to pull out of Westlife’s touring commitments due to a number of serious health issues which have included surgery, sepsis and an incisional hernia.
Halfway through the two-hour gig, Shane, 46, took a moment to remember Mark, 45, and tell fans that despite his absence from the stage Mark features on the group’s upcoming album.
Shane told the crowd: “I want to take a little moment now to speak about Mark who is unfortunately not with us tonight. But we love him, we miss him and we cannot wait to have him back on this stage with us.
“The good news is he’s obviously on the new music which you’ve heard already. And the next album obviously as well. We have a new album coming out in February.”
Shane and his bandmates then dedicated Flying Without Wings to Mark, citing it as his favourite song.
That wasn’t the only moment the Westlife boys took to speak with their loyal fans in attendance.
Nicky, 47, admitted he would never have believed when they started out 25 years ago that two guys from Dublin and three from Sligo would make it on stage at the Royal Albert Hall which has hosted music legends like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the past.
Nicky said: “We were just five lads from Ireland – two from Dublin and three from Sligo – and now we are here.
“I was looking to see the legends and the people of notoriety, the list is endless, from kings and queens that have been standing on this stage to bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones … Frank Sinatra stood on this stage and now its Westlife.
“All our families are over here for a couple of days, the Irish are in town!”
Westlife’s set was packed with greatest hits from their two-and-a-half decade spanning career and highlights included World of Our Own, Queen of My Heart and I Have a Dream as well as swing classics Ain’t That A Kick in the Head and Mack the Knife.
Last year, Mark announced via his Instagram account that he was withdrawing from Westlife’s first tour of America and other dates after undergoing hernia surgery in the wake of other serious health issues.
He posted: “It’s Mark here… Most of you are aware that I have had some health challenges over the past while.
“It actually all started 3.5 years ago in August 2020 when I had surgery. Within a few days of this surgery I was in severe pain and was rushed into A+E.
“I eventually ended that awful day in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where I was informed that due to a complication with the surgery, I had developed severe ‘Sepsis’, a life-threatening infection that would require immediate emergency surgery to rectify the problem and basically save my life.
“I spent the next few months in hospital. It was during lockdown. For months, due to strict Covid restrictions, I was not allowed any visitors including my fiance and my then 10-month-old daughter. It was physically and mentally a very difficult time, not to mention traumatic having to spend so long in ICU.
“In late 2021, I became very ill in Newcastle before a concert and ended up back in A+E, this time being told I had pneumonia. I was told I had to go straight home to recover and regrettably miss the rest of the concerts that December.
“I was referred to a consultant who told me I needed more surgery which I went ahead with in May 2022 meaning I was forced to miss more of The Wild Dreams tour.
“Three months after that surgery, I tried my best to soldier on for you guys and to go back on tour but unfortunately the physical demands of the concerts and extensive travel were proving too much for me.
“I developed a very large ‘incisional hernia’ and I was told that I needed further surgery to fix it. This would be my fourth major surgery since the start of it all, but I had no option.
“‘It is with the upmost level of regret that I must now temporarily stand down from all Westlife touring until a time that I have had the chance to fully recover from the turbulent journey I have been through as an individual.
“Believe me, I wish things could be different! I would like to thank you so very much for your support and understanding of me and my health over the past few years.
Tickets for Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour are on sale this Friday (31.10.25) at 10am and their album The Ultimate Collection is out 13 February 2026.
