Telethon 2025: Ronan Keating set to bring joy to young fans with performance of hit songs

Music superstar and The Voice judge Ronan Keating says he hopes to bring a “little bit of light” to WA’s sick kids by performing — and possibly whipping out an Irish dance — at this year’s Telethon.

As stars and celebrities prepare to take over RAC Arena for the beloved fundraising extravaganza this weekend, Keating said an invitation for a “young Irishman like myself” to perform made him feel like a “fellow Aussie”.

“Telethon is mega, mega — I’ve known about it for many years, and I’ve seen bits and pieces of it on the TV, but to be filled in on how important this is, the work that it does for the different charities, it’s incredible,” the 48-year-old celebrity said.

“To raise over $600 million since it began is just a phenomenal feat.

“When you look at it, it’s mainly Australians that are involved, so for a young Irishman like myself to be asked is a real honour, to be made to feel like a fellow Aussie, almost, that’s very special for me.

“My wife’s Australian, my kids are half Australian . . . this is a very important place for us and to be welcomed with open arms in Perth for Telethon is a real honour.”

Keating — who was in the Irish boyband Boyzone before pivoting to a successful career as a solo artist — said he hoped to bring “joy” to audiences and children doing it tough through his music.

“I hope that I can bring a little bit of light and a bit of joy and a bit of fun into their day,” he said.

“That’s really why I’m doing it as well is that, you know, I sing for a living. That’s what I do.

“If I can come and help people find a little bit of happiness and joy through song — that’s everything I can give.

“I’ll only be singing the songs that I hope people know . . . I’m just coming to sing a couple of hits that I hope people will enjoy.”

Keating has been monumental in raising awareness about cancer back in Ireland after founding the Marie Keating Foundation with the help of his family following the tragic death of his mother to the illness.

“If I‘m being selfish, I’d much rather have my mum than the charity, but it came from that tragedy, the loss of my mum,” he said.

“We were so angry, confused, all the different emotions. And the only way to, I guess, to vent was to put all of our energy into the charity and to create something so that other people wouldn’t be in the same boat as us.

“We didn’t falter through Covid-19, we kept it going, and you know, it’s all about education. That’s our plan — to educate people.”

When asked if he’d be willing to bust out some Irish dance moves, Keating teased that the crowd may be in for a surprise if it helps raise money.

“Oh, my Lord, you’ve seen me dance. . . I’ve got two left feet when I go on holidays, I wear flip flops, you know. so no, I won’t be doing any dancing, that’s for sure,” he said.

“(But) if it raises money for the charity, you never know what I might do.

“I‘m looking forward to getting over to WA. It’s been a while since I’ve been over, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Telethon kicks off on Saturday night.

Both the opening and closing shows, starting at 7pm each night, require ticketed entry, which can be purchased online at telethon7.com/tickets.

A gold coin donation on entry to RAC Arena can be made from Saturday 10.30pm to Sunday 5pm.