The band will perform for 13 nights in the 3Arena

Fan queued from early morning outside the 3Arena for the first of 13 performances in the 3Arena tonight.

Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Shane Filan will set off on a two-year 25th anniversary world tour after their Dublin concerts that run until Saturday, 26 September.

Jade Davies, from Liverpool, arrived extra early to the 3Arena on Thursday to secure a place right up at the stage.

“I’ve been here since 8.30am this morning and I haven’t moved, so I’m very cold, but I can’t wait.

“I have been a fan of them since I was 15. I was always love of Irish boy bands, I was into Boyzone first and then when I discovered Westlife, they were called Westside at the time, I fell in love with them.”

The group released their first debut single Swear It Again, in April 1999.

The song topped the charts in the UK for two weeks and sat at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the beginning of global fame for the group.

Ms Davies added: “I’m coming back on the 21st to watch them again and then in Belfast and in Sheffield. I travel all over to watch them.”

In May the band dropped their latest album, 25 – The Ultimate Collection, featuring all-time favourites You Raise Me Up, Uptown Girl, and Flying Without Wings, along fan Aneka Daly’s favourite song Queen of My Heart.

Ms Daly (40), based in Cork, was also in line outside the venue with friend Sandra Niemann (39), from Cologne.

“Queen of My Heart is the story of me and my husband. I met him in Germany and I move back to Ireland 12 years ago and then we got married. It’s my life story,” she said.

The friends bonded over the band as youngsters.

Ms Daly, who is German-Irish said: “We met through a Westlife Beebo chat group and became friends.

“The band was something I could share with friends in Germany. Nobody knew much about Ireland in Germany, they just thought of fairies and leprechauns. But to me Westlife was a part of home.”

Aneka and Sandra will see the boy band two more times in Dublin before they see them perform in Cologne and Scandanavia.

“I’ve taken no holidays this year, so these concerts are what I’ve been looking forward to,” Aneka added.

The homecoming gig is an opportunity to share the band’s music with the younger generation, with Hayley Gibney (38) bringing along her daughter Priya (12) for her first concert.

Ms Gibney, from Drimnagh, said: “I’m a lifetime fan, since I was Priya’s age. She’s been a fan for three years now, we both love Uptown Girl.

“I was devastated when they broke up in 2018. Poor Mark [Feehily], he took sick then. It’s sad he’s not here, but we’re looking forward to our night as mammy and daughter.”

Fourth member Feehily won’t be joining the band on the tour. He took a step back from performing in 2024 due to a battle with sepsis, but was involved in the recording of the band’s latest single Your Love Amazes Me. 

In May, Shane Filan said it was a difficult decision to go forward with the tour without their bandmade, but that they had “his blessing”.

“Of course it’s very disappointing he’s not here for the tour but it is a moment in our life of 25 years that we couldn’t miss,” he said.

Another first for a pair in line, Anabela Pinheiro’s (55) first visit to Ireland.

Anabela won the tickets for herself and her husband Pedro online through a competition by gig promoter MCD.

“I saw an ad on Instagram for it and then when I found out I won, I couldn’t believe it. Two days prior I had bought us tickets to see them in Paris

“It means a lot to me because 25 years ago I didn’t have the money to travel around the world to see them, but now I do.”

The 55-year-old originally saw the band perform in Lisbon 25 years ago with daughter Patricia.

“I never got to see them perform again after they came to Portugal, so today is special.”

A committed fan, Anabela was also able to see the band perform in Croke Park last weekend ahead of the final fight of Katie Taylor’s career.

On Tuesday, Nicky Byrne wrote on social media that he was humbled to perform ahead of the fight.

“To be a tiny part of that monumental night at Croke Park on Saturday was something I will never forget,” he said.

“We were there to witness one of the greatest sports stars this country has ever produced, to say goodbye.”

After their Dublin shows, the band will perform in the UK, Europe and Asia until the end of July 2027.