Westlife arrives in Ho Chi Minh City

The group landed at 6:20 p.m. to the warm welcome of Vietnamese fans, who had waited for the artists since early in the afternoon.

Nicky Byrne of Westlife records moments after his arrival in Vietnam on Nov. 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of AMO Vietnam

They then traveled to their accommodation in vehicles prepared by the show organizers. The artists will have one day to get ready for their first concert at the city’s Thong Nhat Stadium.

"The group’s schedule in Vietnam is tight," said Do Thu Giang, CEO of AMO Vietnam which is putting the highly-anticiapted shows.

She added that the group asked the event organizers to keep their detailed schedules in the country confidential, and that the artists would fly to India, the next stop of their tour, immediately after the second night of their Ho Chi Minh City shows on Wednesday.

Giang also revealed that the band planned to spend time experiencing local culture and cuisine beside their shows.

Shane Steven Filan of Westlife arrives at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Nov. 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of AMO Vietnam

Westlife’s upcoming shows in HCMC will mark the group’s second time performing in Vietnam, after their 2011 show in Hanoi as part of their "Gravity Tour."

The Irish group initially booked only a single concert at Thong Nhat Stadium on Nov. 22, making Vietnam one of eight stops in Asia on their world tour to date, along with Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The venue sold out at a capacity of 15,000 for the original Nov. 22 performance only hours after tickets went on sale in Sep. this year.

In response to popular demand, Westlife then extended their stay in Vietnam by adding another concert on the previous day.

Specific details about the setlist for both nights have not been revealed, however, it is expected to include many of the group’s best hits, from "My Love," and "If I Let You Go," to "Flying Without Wings," and "Soledad."

The shows’ duration is also longer compared to that in other stops of the artists’ tour, according to the organizers.

Westlife’s members bid Vietnamese fans farewell before heading to their hotel on Nov. 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of AMO Vietnam

Westlife were formed in 1998 in Dublin with five members. The group disbanded in 2012 before reuniting again in 2018. The current members of the group are Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne.

They are holders of four Guinness World Records, including the top-selling group in the 21st century in the United Kingdom.