Niall Horan celebrated a career milestone this week as he performed two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden — nearly a dozen years after first taking the iconic stage as a member of One Direction.
Fifteen thousand fans flocked to the New York City venue on back-to-back nights to see Horan on the latest stop of his international “The Show” tour, which kicked off on Feb. 20 and is scheduled to run through Oct. 9.
After Brooklyn-based opener Del Water Gap warmed up the crowd with a rousing set, Horan began his hour-and-40-minute concert with “Nice to Meet Ya” off his 2020 sophomore album, “Heartbreak Weather.”
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Horan, whose former boy band headlined the Garden in December 2012, became emotional onstage Thursday as he reflected on his full-circle journey to selling out the world’s most famous arena on his own.
But by Friday, Horan had no tears left to cry and was in full party mode, running through upbeat hits including “Heaven” and “Slow Hands” in between monologues showcasing his Irish charm.
“There’s people out there in Times Square doing all sorts of s–t. We gotta live up to it. Come on!” he implored his audience early on. “I’m going to need all your energy. I want you to be the best and worst versions possible of yourself tonight. You have entered the safe space.”
Horan’s 20-song setlist included everything from his 2016 debut solo single, “This Town,” to a brief cover of Stevie Nicks’ 1982 classic “Edge of Seventeen” to a seat-shaking rendition of One Direction’s beloved 2014 deep cut “Stockholm Syndrome.”
Throughout the evening, an ever-gracious Horan repeatedly thanked his fans for continuing to support him and his music even after 1D disbanded in 2015.
“I cannot emphasize enough what this means to me. It means the whole wide world,” he said. “I’ve dreamt of this since I was a small child. And this is the reality. It’s happening. We’re here. We made it. You did this! Imagine if I didn’t have you. This place would be very empty.”
“The Show,” which is named after Horan’s 2023 album, will travel to North American cities including Toronto, Los Angeles and Phoenix this summer before returning to the singer’s native Ireland.
The tour will then make stops in London, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro, among others, before wrapping up in Bogotá, Colombia.
