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On Wednesday, June 11, Westlife took to their Instagram handle to share the news of celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut world tour, the Where Dreams Come True Tour, which kicked off on February 9, 2001, in the Newcastle Arena.
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Their statement read:
"Who would have thought we would still be here 25 years later? We have so many exciting plans to share with you very soon which will include new music, an album, special shows and many, many more surprises along the way."
Westlife's statement also mentioned that one of the bandmates, Mark Feehily, would be missing from the celebrations. The statement shared:
"Sadly, Mark will be unable to join the celebrations. We hope we can join us back on stage when he is ready and able. He sends his love and positivity to you all as always."
Despite Feehily's absence from the upcoming celebrations, his name was also mentioned in the signing of the statement.
After two decades of successful running as a Westlife member, Mark Feehily stepped down from his position last year, in February 2024. Feehily's decision came in the wake of his hernia surgery, after which he was advised to take time off to recover. In light of his health conditions, Feehily stayed back as the Irish band toured the US.
Sharing his journey to the decision to take a break from the band on Instagram, Mark Feehily spoke about his battle with Sepsis amidst the COVID lockdown, followed by a bad case of pneumonia in late 2021. By the end of 2023, Feehily had developed a large "incisional hernia" that could only be treated with surgery, marking the singer's fourth surgery in three years.
Furthermore, in the 2024 Instagram post, Feehily expressed his love for Westlife bandmates, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne, adding:
"I'm so devastated that I won't be there to celebrate the upcoming concerts with you and the 3 lads. I hope you know and understand I should have been there, and that I look forward to seeing you all again to make some more magic in the future. But for now, I have to make the right decision for my health and wellbeing, for my family, and for myself as a person."
Westlife member Shane Filan shared an update about Feehily in September 2024
Seven months after Mark Feehily announced his decision to step back from Westlife due to health issues, his bandmate, Shane Filan, shared a health update about him, MSN reported (on September 14, 2024). Filan said:
"Mark is good, actually. He’s a lot better. He’s had a tough couple of years, but he’s recovered a lot better now. He needs the time off because the tour would’ve been impossible. But he’s happy now at home. He’s happy."
Filan also shared that while there were no plans for Mark to return "at the moment," they couldn't wait for him to come back.
Westlife is an Irish pop band that was formed back in 1998 under the management of Louis Walsh, a former X-Factor judge. They disbanded in 2012, only to reunite six years later, in 2018.
