Westlife: Headlining Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a dream come true

It was Cork’s worst kept secret but this morning Westlife announced that they will performing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh next year.

The chart toppers will be the first Irish band to play at the stadium in 27 years with tickets for the show going on sale on Friday.

They will take to the stage on 28 August 2020 with the band confirming at the media conference this morning that it will be different to their recent Croke Park gigs.

Band member Mark Feehily said: “We are putting together a brand new bespoke show for the gig next year. Good audiences are like magnets, we go to where the crowds are.”

The Leeside concert will see Shane, Nicki, Mark and Kian perform their greatest hits including ‘Swear It Again’, ‘Flying Without Wings’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’ as well as their new songs ‘Hello My Love’ and ‘Better Man’.

Shane Filan told the Cork Independent at the press briefing: “We are very lucky to have 21 years of a career now and a set list. We get to call it a back catalogue now. We’re are very lucky, there’s so many songs. At the last show, we could have stayed on for another three hours and that’s a great position to be in.

“All the hits are going to be in Cork and all of our biggest hits are going to be part of this set list. We will have a few new songs from the new album but it will be mainly the songs from our history because that’s what the fans want to hear.”

It will be the band’s first time in their 20-plus year history that they will headline at the Cork stadium.

“Headlining Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the first time ever is a dream come true for us all. We’re incredibly excited for a show which will be different and more spectacular than anything we’ve ever done before,” the band said.  

The support act is due to be announced on Wednesday and tickets go on sale at 9am on 20 September.