Girls Aloud kicked off their reunion tour with a heart-wrenching tribute to their late bandmate Sarah Harding.
The group, consisting of Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, had promised that their first performances since 2013 would honour Sarah, who tragically passed away from breast cancer in 2021 at the age of 39.
Despite a slight delay, with the girls taking to the stage 30 minutes later than planned, the quartet performed their opening number, Untouchable, against a backdrop of footage of Sarah displayed on pink curtains. This marked their first performance without their cherished bandmate.
Things got emotional later on in the evening as they honoured their much-missed bandmate once again. Ahead of performing Stand By You for the delighted crowd, Nadine told them: "We're going to do a duet with Sarah tonight. It's going to be us, Sarah, you. Lets do this together." Things turned emotional when Sarah's vocals began to play as her four bandmates sang live on stage.
The girls kicked off their show in style this evening. After a brief "hello Dublin" to the crowd, the girls continued their energetic performance with a rendition of Love Machine, accompanied by more images of Sarah. Expressing her gratitude to the audience, Nicola said: "What an incredible audience for our first show, thanks so much for being so supportive. We're so happy to be back."
As they introduced their next song, History, Nicola reflected: "When we recorded this next song 19 years ago, we had no idea 19 years later it would become so poignant on our journey." Black and white footage of Sarah singing History was then shown, followed by a touching montage dedicated to the late star. The emotional tribute concluded with the phrase: "The darkest nights produce the brightest stars."
In an emotional moment, Kimberley shared with the audience: "Standing feeling all the emotions you're feeling. I hope you know it means as much as it means you to you." Adding her sentiments, Cheryl said: "Thank you for your support through everything we went through with Sarah. It's hard to believe but it's such a beautiful thing to be on stage with these ladies again."
gPrior to their show at Dublin's 3Arena, Kimberley revealed behind-the-scenes snaps of the pop sensations and shared: "We've had the best time creating this show for you and being back with my girls has been incredibly emotional but so special." Nicola, 38, assured fans of a stellar show while also 38, Nadine professed: "I am full of gratitude and admiration for our entire team. Thank you to everyone up to this point. Now the real fun begins."
Cheryl, aged 40, teased the start of the tour by releasing a shot of the stars onboard as they jetted off to Ireland on Thursday night, captioning it: "Ready for take-off." Girls Aloud, the band that was formed on ITV's Popstars: The Rivals in November 2002 and scored their first No1 by Christmas, parted ways in 2013 following a series of disputes. However, they made a dramatic announcement last November about their reunion.
The girls, who organised a 2022 ball in tribute to Sarah, have contributed to raising over £1million for cancer charities, including The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.
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