“I think it’s always like a place that we have been very aware of. You have been there before, and I’ve been there personally, I’d say maybe four or five times on vacation,” he says.

Westlife will be coming to India for a three-city tour, which has been produced by Book My Show. The four-member band will perform in Mumbai on November 24, Bengaluru on November 25 and will conclude their tour in Delhi on November 26.

Fans have been urging the boyband to tour India for years now. The band’s journey to India is not merely a result of this relentless devotion but also a testament to the incredible power of music to transcend borders. Feehily himself explains, “I think it’s quite something. I don’t know, dare I say, romantic or quite cute, if one could actually change the path of our tour and bring us to their country. And I think that’s a lovely way to think about it.”

While the fans’ unwavering support played a crucial role in their decision to come and perform in India, doing so has always been part of their plans. “But the reality also is that we’ve always wanted to perform in India. We’ve never actually done a full concert there,” he says.

Westlife’s enduring success lies in their commitment to their unique musical style and their refusal to follow any trends — musical or otherwise. “Well, when we started off, everyone made it very clear that we were not trendy, we were not cool,” says Feehily, explaining that the band’s decision to remain true to their classic pop music style and eschew fleeting trends has allowed their music to age gracefully.

The 43-year-old elaborates, “We never really got people who said things like ‘Remember when that was cool and remember when people used to dress like that and remember when music used to sound like that’. What always mattered to us was vocals and songs, and that’s what we all stuck to,” he says, insisting that the group’s steadfast dedication to it has ensured that Westlife’s music remains timeless.

As they prepare to enthrall Indian audiences, Feehily also acknowledges the remarkable growth in infrastructure that has allowed them to finally perform in the country. “I think there was a time where maybe if we came and put on one of our big shows with the fireworks and the lighting and all of that stuff, it could have been a little bit more dangerous because the infrastructure locally wasn’t necessarily the same 20 years ago,” he says.

“It’s exciting to bring our big spectacle, the show, the fireworks and the lights and the big screens and everything, and that’s what everyone’s going to get this time around,” adds Feehily, hoping that fans will be captivated by the grandeur of their performance.

Above all, he just eagerly anticipates the opportunity to connect with Indian fans on a more one-on-one level. “The most important thing is that finally we’ll get to see all of those Indian fans face to face and sing along with them,” he signs off.