EXCLUSIVE| ‘Fans in India helped make One Love viral again,’ says Lee Ryan as Blue heads to India on 25th anniversary
It’s been 25 years of hits, harmonies, and pure nostalgia from the UK boy band Blue. But if there’s one thing that tops Lee Ryan’s personal bucket list right now, it’s not another platinum record — it’s to travel across India.
“I would love to get on a motorbike and travel around India and write a journal of my adventures,” Ryan shared with us in an exclusive email conversation ahead of Blue’s three-city India tour. The band — comprising Lee Ryan, Antony Costa, Duncan James, and Simon Webbe — will be performing in Shillong, Gangtok, and Bengaluru as part of their 25th anniversary world tour.
The excitement, Ryan says, is palpable, considering the band’s previous two scheduled performances were cancelled. “We are so happy to be finally coming to India. It’s been a busy few years for Blue, but we want to make this happen. We were on our Greatest Hits tour in 2024 when we found out about One Love going viral globally – and that was all down to the Indian fans celebrating that song, so we are very grateful ,” he said.
Fans attending the shows can expect a “musical celebration,” he adds. “We’ll be playing all of our hits — and because of the power of social media, many will be known to you already. We’ve seen a lot of dancing online – to One Love of course – many different dances! So we fully expect the audience to be full of energy and can’t wait to see it.”
For Blue, who debuted in 2001 with All Rise and went on to dominate the early 2000s pop scene, the past two decades have been a whirlwind. Yet Ryan feels this moment in their 40s is particularly special. “There are so many things to be grateful for as a band – but one of the best has to be that we got to tour the world, from day one when All Rise came out. We’ve seen some incredible places, so we feel very blessed to be able to do it all again and probably take more time to appreciate it as well now.”
As Blue celebrates 25 years, the band finds itself resonating with a new generation of listeners — many who’ve discovered them through social media or their parents’ playlists. “We’ve seen a whole new generation enjoying our songs. That’s amazing to see,” Ryan said.
