For a generation that grew up listening to the many hits of Irish boy band Boyzone, August is sure to be a month of nostalgia and excitement! In a move that is bound to take that excitement up a notch, Sri Lanka, we were told at a press conference held at the Hilton Colombo, will be the first venue of their Asian leg of the tour.

The ‘Thank You & Goodnight’ farewell tour is set to be a celebration of their 25th anniversary and the band also announced their final album, after which they will split. The tour follows the release of their new track ‘I Can Dream’ which includes the voice of Stephen Gately who passed away in 2009, as well as the other members, Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch.
 
Speaking at the event Manesh Fernando, General Manager, Hilton Colombo, shared that having perused YouTube and listened to music by Boyzone, he instantly replied in the affirmative. “In my belief, we need a lot more such tours to come to Sri Lanka because we need to be in the minds of people around the world. Especially because of Sri Lanka’s continued focus as a tourism destination. We need a lot of happenings in the country to put us on the world map. It is good to have them here because we grew up with this music and they still play them on our radio stations”.

Echoing the sentiments, Sabry Badurdeen of Classic Travels reiterated that it was indeed a privilege to be a part of the Boyzone concert. “When we heard that Boyzone was coming, we said yes we are on board, because we as a travel partner, we see that most of our people travel overseas for concerts and events. My dream was when can Sri Lankans have access to see groups like Boyzone? We saw that with the Michael Learns To Rock concert, everyone had accessibility and affordability”. 

Representing DCI, Anton explained that the concerts were a “part of our Chairman Dilshad Hassan’s dream and vision. We had done a very successful event with the MLTR concert, and the biggest vision was to ensure that we put Sri Lanka on the entertainment map and bring down the best of the talents to this country. This is something we want to continue doing. We want to use this event to launch DCI events and entertainments as the events arm of DCI Recruitment. For us, this is an exciting time and we hope to see yet another successful event in Sri Lanka”.

The Lions Club is also partnering up with DCI for the Boyzone concert, and Sheara Jayalath shared her thoughts on being a part of such an important concert. “As you know, Sri Lanka kicks off the Asian leg of the farewell tour, so it’s nice to be the launching pad. Many of us in the club have grown up with this music. Our association with this concert would be very special because this is where we give back to the community as well. Part of the proceeds from tickets sold by the Lions Club will go towards our projects which include pediatric cancer, preventive blindness, youth empowerment, nutrition, health and community development”. 

Ishan Seneratne of Tak Tik Book remarked that they were proud to be associated with DCI for the second time, the first being the MLTR concert. “I think we have done a great job of continuing to bring down renowned artists who will undoubtedly draw a massive following from the Sri Lankan public. I am sure that the event will be a sell-out and that CR&FC will be full to capacity”.

Representing  Continental Insurance Gerry Gunadasa added that he “is delighted and pleased to have this opportunity to be the insurance partner for the Boyzone concert. It is an international tour and Sri Lanka will be on the world map for entertainment, and that will help drive tourism. The country will benefit from the publicity”.

“444 is proud to partner with DCI events as the official ticketing partner for Boyzone” added Amila Fonseka of 444 by Dialog. “As the official ticketing partner, 444 will deliver the ease of purchasing tickets where you can simply purchase a ticket by dialling 444 via dialog mobiles. Or you can visit us on http://www.444.lk, or simply download the mobile app. 444 is the only one-stop shop platform in the country where we facilitate bookings across movies, events and doctors”.

The Concert will be held on the 16th of August at the CR&FC grounds. The band would be staying at the Colombo Hilton with all travel arrangements handled by Classic Travel. DCI Events and Entertainment are the promoters for the concert and  Continental Insurance is the insurance partner.

For more information, call the information desk on 071 8 935 935. Tickets can be purchased at 444.lk and http://taktikbook.lk. 

Pics: Kushan Pathiraja