Tenor singer Russell Watson has said that his upcoming concert at the Gaiety Theatre will be a ‘celebration of the last 25 years’.

The ‘From Me To You’ tour will kick off at the Gaiety on Wednesday, February 26, before then going on to locations such as Poole, Bury, Derry and Belfast until April 25.

The 58-year-old has released singles and albums of both opera and pop-style, and has sold more than seven million albums worldwide.

This year’s tour marks 25 years since Russell released his first album ‘The Voice’, which went on to become the biggest selling UK classical album of all time and one of the top two best-selling classical albums of the century.

Talking about the upcoming show, Russell said: ‘It's just a celebration of all everything that's gone on in between the year 2000 and now.

‘I’ve done some marvelous performances, such as at the World Games and the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the City of Manchester Stadium, as well as singing for people like Pope John Paul the second, the Emperor of Japan, and her Majesty the Queen on numerous occasions.

‘Music wise, it's going to be a collection of my favourite and sacred arias, along with some musical theatre such as Les Miserables and the Phantom of the Opera.

‘It's a celebration of all the wonderful moments I’ve had, of which there is hopefully more to come.’

The concert will see Russell accompanied by pianist Mike Moran, who has an extensive musical career which has seen him play piano for the likes of Freddie Mercury.

Also joining him on stage will be the Ballacottier Primary School choir, who were selected out of a number of primary schools due to their ‘enthusiasm’ to perform.

‘We do occasionally get local choirs and performers involved in our shows,’ Russell said.

‘More often than not, we'll hold a competition to find the likes of a local brass band, choir, or even a solo singer. We thought on this occasion that we would look for a local choir and the Ballacottier choir really stood out.

‘It will be lovely. They sounded very sweet and enthusiastic about what they were doing, and that's what got it over the line as we were presented with a lot of choirs.’

Russell has now released over 10 studio albums, with the latest, ‘Shine’, being a collaboration with British singer Helen Jane Long released in 2024.

Asked if he still enjoys performing as much as he used to, Russell said: ‘After all these years I'm more at ease with everything that I do. I don't know why, I just don't feel the same pressure that I used to feel 20 odd years ago.

‘I go out there and deliver what I deliver, and it just feels pressure free. I love what I do, and I still fully enjoy performing and singing.’

Tickets for the show are priced at £59.50, and can be purchased by visiting https://www.villagaiety.com/russellwatson