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Boyzone
Ireland's original boy band that ruled the 1990s — shaped by tragedy, a split, and reunions built on nostalgia
Active — Boyzone were Ireland's biggest boy band of the 1990s. Founding member Stephen Gately died in 2009; the rest officially split after a farewell tour in 2019, but Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham have since reunited for special and farewell shows.
Boyzone were formed in Dublin in 1993 by manager Louis Walsh and quickly became Ireland's biggest boy band, riding the mid-1990s wave of teen pop. With a lineup of Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham and Stephen Gately, they delivered a string of chart-topping ballads such as "Words", "No Matter What", "All That I Need" and covers that sold enormously across Ireland, the UK and Asia.
The band's story was marked by tragedy when Stephen Gately died in 2009, a loss that shook the group and its fanbase. The remaining members continued in the years that followed, before announcing a farewell tour — "Thank You & Goodnight" — in 2018 and 2019, after which Boyzone split.
Since then the surviving members have reunited from time to time, for TV specials, one-off shows and anniversary events. As of 2026 they have teased final shows as a foursome, though Mikey Graham has been absent from some reunions, leaving the band's on-stage lineup fluid.
Quick facts
- Formed
- 1993, Dublin, Ireland
- Original lineup
- Five members
- Biggest hits
- "No Matter What", "Words", "All That I Need"
- Stephen Gately
- Died 2009
- Farewell tour
- "Thank You & Goodnight" (2019)
- Now
- Reuniting for farewell shows (2026)
Sources
- Boyzone - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
- Ronan Keating to reunite with Boyzone for NYE TV show — RTÉ (2026-09-05)