Ronan Keating reflects on Boyzone farewell during BBC Radio 2 chat

Ronan Keating opens up about the emotional and deliberate decision behind Boyzone’s upcoming farewell shows during a conversation on Tracks of My Years on Radio 2 next week.

The singer is Vernon Kay’s guest on the feature next week, where he chooses the songs that have shaped his life and career. He also talks about the final chapter of one of Ireland’s most successful pop bands.

Speaking about the upcoming shows, Ronan explained that the concerts are rooted firmly in nostalgia rather than new material or future plans.

He said the focus is on marking the end properly, rather than extending the band’s legacy indefinitely. For him, it is about writing a final chapter and saying goodbye in a way that feels honest and contained.

Ronan told Vernon that there is no new music, no intention to tour the world, and no appetite to stretch the experience beyond what feels healthy for the group.

Despite multiple offers to take the shows across Europe and Asia, he said the answer has been an unequivocal no.

When Vernon asked why the band would not consider taking the show on the road for six months, Ronan explained that it would be an incredibly difficult environment for all members of the group.

He acknowledged that financially, the band could easily commit to a long run of arena and outdoor dates, but said the decision was never about money.

Reflecting on Boyzone’s history, Ronan spoke openly about how previous reunions gradually lost their impact. He explained that returning too often with the same material led to diminishing audiences, and that by 2019, during a major world tour, the atmosphere had become toxic for him personally.

He recalled a particularly difficult moment in Japan, where tensions within the band came to a head. Ronan said he felt he was carrying the workload while others were enjoying the experience, which led to a major confrontation and the band leaving Osaka on separate flights.

The situation continued when they returned to London to perform five nights at the Palladium, shows that were initially thought to be their final farewell.

For the first time in Boyzone’s career, each member had a separate dressing room because some band members were not speaking to one another.

He told Vernon that on the final night, most of the band left immediately, leaving him and Keith Duffy sharing a quiet drink together upstairs in the Palladium. Despite the sadness, Ronan admitted he also felt a sense of relief that it was over.

The new farewell shows, he explained, came off the back of a documentary that took two years to make. That project reopened conversations within the band and ultimately led to the decision to reunite briefly, but on their own terms.

Ronan also revealed that Ed Sheeran played a key role in making the shows happen. After watching the documentary, Ed encouraged him to give fans one final chance to hear the songs live, reminding him that the music belongs to the audience as much as the band. Ed later connected Ronan with a promoter, leading to an offer to perform at the Emirates Stadium.

The conversation ended on a lighter note, with Ronan sharing a personal story about Ed Sheeran singing Thinking Out Loud at his wedding in Scotland in 2015. He recalled how the night turned into an impromptu two-hour performance involving Boyzone members and other artists, before he and his wife Storm watched the sunrise together.

Listen to Tracks of My Years on Vernon Kay’s show, Monday – Friday (9.30am-12pm) on BBC Radio 2.