The Summer of 2023 will remain forever etched in the hearts of Indians as the world’s biggest selling and legendary boy band, Backstreet Boys took over the cities of Mumbai and Delhi-NCR giving fans their most memorable night of the year. 

Celebrating 30 glorious years of a band that has continued to stay relevant across age groups of music lovers, with a growing fan base and an evergreen legacy that never goes out style, the Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour came on the back of the boy band favourite’s tenth studio album ‘DNA,’ and has continued to live up to its reputation of being a production enigma unlike any other.

The band’s iconic DNA World Tour’s advent to India concluded with a mammoth attendance of around 25,000 fans across both cities with packed shows brimming to their full capacity at the Jio World Gardens, Mumbai and Airia Mall, Gurugram taking the entertainment capital and the national capital by storm.

Celebrating 30 glorious years of a band that has continued to stay relevant across age groups of music lovers, with a growing fan base and an evergreen legacy that never goes out style, the Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour came on the back of the boy band favourite’s tenth studio album ‘DNA,’ and has continued to live up to its reputation of being a production enigma unlike any other.

The ‘larger than life’ performance spanning over 2 hours and 33 songs in Mumbai and Gurugram had ‘Everybody’ moving, grooving and humming along to their all-time favourites.

The stage was set up in the middle of the arena, allowing everyone the best view from all angles with intricate visuals. As the lights went out and the opening notes of the hit song I Wanna Be With You began followed by The Call, the crowd erupted into unanimous screams and cheers, setting the tone for the night. Band members Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson with their dreamy personas and synchronised steps had fans spellbound right from the start until the very end, seamlessly transitioning from one hit to the next, changing costumes live on stage, never missing a beat with their electrifying dance moves and showcasing chemistry as a group that was nothing short of spectacular.

The arsenal of mega-watt hits such as I Want It That Way, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and As Long As You Love Me, along with hits from their recent album ‘DNA’ including Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Chances and No Place was sung unanimously by the entire crowd.

The Backstreet Boys threw all they had into their performances at both, Mumbai and Gurugram, showering the crowds with incredible love. As a tribute to India’s 30-year old fan love, they infused the city into their famed single calling it ‘I Want It Mumbai’s Way’ constantly thanking Mumbai and Delhi-NCR crowds for coming out to support their show.

The boys’ entire performance was themed according to different song tones from Noir to Cinematic to Confessional to Remix’D and the finale Encore with the band donning a variety of outfits, from sleek leather jackets to glittering sequined suits to all-whites as each costume change was accompanied by a different set design with band members Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson teasing the audience changing costumes live on stage, making the concert feel like a series of mini shows within one massive production and a spectacle to remember for sore eyes. The show concluded with explosive performances of the historic Don’t Go Breaking My Heart followed by Larger Than Life, complete with pyrotechnics, fireworks in true Indian style and confetti cannons.

As the evenings drew to a close, the band took a bow and thanked Indian fans across Mumbai and Delhi-NCR for their tremendous support over the years and promised to be back to more cities across India soon.

Spotted cheering amongst the crowds were notable actors, singers, stand-up comics and influencers including Shraddha Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Genelia D’Souza, Kajal Aggarwal, Arbaaz Khan, Benny Dayal, Jacqueline Fernandes, Dhvani Bhanushali, Diana Penty, Natasha Dalal, Maniesh Paul, Karishma Mehta, Kajal Aggarwal, Rohan Joshi, singers Prakriti and Sukriti Kakar, Meezan Jafri, Deepinder Goyal, Mithila Palkarto name a few.

Photos: RVR16