Westlife have become the latest act to cancel their summer tour due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The recently reformed Irish boyband – currently consisting of Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan – were due to embark on a stadium tour of the UK in June and July.
A statement on their Instagram page said: “To all our UK fans – it is with great sadness that despite our best efforts, our shows scheduled for the UK in June and July must be cancelled.
“We have been monitoring the UK Government’s advice surrounding mass gatherings and it is very clear that this is the course we need to take to ensure the protection of our fans, our crew and everyone around us, but also to ease the pressure on those working tirelessly to fight this virus.
“Those who have been on the Westlife journey with us know how important performing is to us, but also know that safety must come first and foremost in delivering a successful tour.”
However, the group said their show at London’s Wembley Stadium in August, featuring special guests James Morrison and All Saints, might still go ahead.
They said: “With regards to our show at Wembley Stadium in London, this is a fluid situation which is being reviewed on a daily basis.
“We will only deliver this show in August if it is completely safe to do so and will update you as soon as the position is clear.”
Westlife have enjoyed a successful comeback since reuniting in 2018 for their 20th anniversary, scoring their first UK number one album in more than a decade with Spectrum last November.
Spectrum was the band’s 11th studio album, and their first since 2010 record Gravity, which peaked at number three in the UK charts.
Earlier on Wednesday, girl group Little Mix also cancelled their UK summer arena tour due to the outbreak.
They joined a growing list of acts, including The Who, Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus, forced to postpone or cancel tours amid the crisis.