Nocturnal 
Hear’Say and Liberty X are reuniting for a joint arena tour for the first time ever, 25 years after they were both formed on the TV talent show Popstars.
Billed as Popstars: The Originals, the 13-date run kicks off in Dublin next April and finishes in Liverpool in May 2027, taking in arenas across the UK and Ireland. It’s the first time the two groups have ever performed together on the same stage.
Hear’Say will reunite as a four-piece, with Danny Foster, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw and Noel Sullivan all confirmed. Myleene Klass is sitting this one out. Liberty X, meanwhile, are bringing back their complete original five-piece line-up of Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor, Kelli Young, Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm.
Hear’Say won the original Popstars series in 2001, with Liberty X made up of the five other finalists. Hear’Say went on to score a number one with debut single “Pure and Simple” and a triple-platinum debut album, before splitting in 2002. Liberty X went on to notch up hits including “Just A Little”, “Thinking It Over” and “Being Nobody”.
Speaking about the reunion, Hear’Say said: “Coming back together after 25 years is something that’s incredibly special to all of us. It’s a chance to celebrate an unforgettable chapter in our lives, reconnect with each other and relive so many amazing memories.”
Liberty X said: “It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since Popstars changed all of our lives. We are thrilled to be heading out on tour with Hear’Say to celebrate where it all began.”
Kym Marsh told the Press Association the reunion is “going to be emotional”, adding: “We were just young famous kids who had a dream, and that dream came true for us.” Jessica Taylor said of the original show: “We didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for – there had never been a show like that before. Now we’re parents, so you look at it through different eyes.” Suzanne Shaw said Hear’Say have “not sung together for 25 years” since their split, calling the reunion “brand new again” for the group. Michelle Heaton added that she and her bandmates now have children and grandchildren who will get to see them perform.
Why it matters
Popstars was the show that kickstarted the UK’s reality-TV pop boom in 2001, and organisers say it helped pave the way for later acts including One Direction, Little Mix, Girls Aloud and JLS. A tour uniting the winners and runners-up for the first time taps directly into that nostalgia, and organisers expect the 13 dates to draw a combined audience of more than 150,000 fans.
What happens next
The tour runs from 17 April to 9 May 2027, with stops including Dublin’s 3Arena, Belfast’s SSE Arena, Birmingham’s BP Pulse Arena, London’s O2, Manchester’s AO Arena and Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. Fans who register for presale access will be able to buy tickets from 9am on Wednesday 14 October, with general sale following at 9am on Friday 16 October.
