By Following up at Madison Square Garden is a daunting task, but the crowd at Xfinity Center delivered for Niall Horan’s performance at the Xfinity Center Saturday night. The former One Direction star took to the Mansfield stage as part of his tour, “The Show: Live on Tour.” This is his first headlining tour since 2018, following the ill-fated “ ” in 2020.
For a tour lasting , it could understandably be hard for an artist to connect with the city they’re visiting, but at Horan’s concert, the connection with Boston was evident early on. Indie artist Del Water Gap got the crowd up on their feet during his opening set. Del Water Gap explained his love for Boston, saying he’s performed at various venues across the area, such as The Sinclair, Roadrunner, and a Starbucks at Boston College.
Following Del Water Gap’s set, the anticipation only grew as thousands of fans, decked out in Horan and One Direction-themed attire, awaited Horan’s appearance. As “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac played just before Horan took the stage, fans rose from their seats, the excitement reaching a boiling point. Horan’s performance began with “Nice to Meet Ya,” the lead single from Horan’s second album, “Heartbreak Weather.
” Although the screens didn’t turn on at first, fans across the Xfinity Center still happily sang along. Early in the show, Horan expressed how excited he had been for the Mansfield show, telling the eager crowd that tickets sold quickly. “I believe.
