Irish band The Script finally headline Newmarket Nights next Friday – two years later than planned.

Following Newmarket shows by Paloma Faith and Rudimental so far this summer, Danny O'Donoghue, Mark Sheehan and Glen Power are the latest chart-toppers to play the famous racecourse.

They were originally due to headline Newmarket Nights back in June 2020, but the gig was postponed twice due to COVID, and the concert will now form part of the group's current greatest hits tour.

The alt-rock pop trio are one of the most successful Irish acts of recent times, having scored six UK number one albums, including last year's best-of collection, Tales from the Script: Greatest Hits.

And the arena-filling band will treat fans to some of their biggest hits at Newmarket, such as The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, Hall of Fame, For The First Time and Superheroes, after an evening's horse racing.

The Script's self-titled debut album was released in 2008. Danny O’Donoghue said: "It's been an incredible 14 years that we've been out as a band.

"I was just saying to people earlier on, 'looking back, did you feel like you knew what you were doing?' But we had no idea.

"When you look back you can trace out the lines of the lightning bolt, but at the time it's happening nobody knows where it's going to go, where it's going to fall, where it's going to hit – all those kinds of things.

"To be able to look back on that lightning bolt now and just be like, 'wow what a bright one it was, what a shocking one' you know? Nothing went down in flames, not yet anyway!"

Danny added: "I think everybody had a massively reflective period during COVID where they could look back on their life and take what you need to go forward."

Last year's Tales from the Script went straight in at number one, following previous chart-topping albums The Script, Science & Faith, Freedom Child, No Sound Without Silence, and Sunsets & Full Moons.

Ely Standard: The Script will play Newmarket Nights at Newmarket Racecourses on Friday, July 15.The Script will play Newmarket Nights at Newmarket Racecourses on Friday, July 15. (Image: IMAGE COPYRIGHT ANDREW WHITTON)

Reflecting on the band's enduring success, Danny said: "It feels incredible, like each one of these albums – every time it comes out and we have a Number One I'm left gobsmacked. I'm left very humbled by it.

"Our fan base is one of the most loyal that you'll ever get out there, but I feel like we haven't really changed too much with the times either – we've always just stuck to our own style of music, just trying to explain what's going on in our life.

"I feel like we have this almost cult following of people who absolutely adore this band, they love what we stand for."

There are some bands that would maybe scoff at doing a Greatest Hits album, but former The Voice UK coach Danny is proud of The Script's back catalogue and sees the current tour as a celebration of the group's career to date.

"I feel really lucky to be able to get back out and do these things again. I think people know what they're getting on the Greatest Hits, they know that so it's all killer, no filler.

"I know these songs already, I know the crowd loves them. There's nothing wrong with giving people what they want!"

The band's Newmarket show on July 15 will be different from an arena gig, as it follows an evening's horse racing.

"I feel like it's a festival vibe and there's always a little bit more magic in the air," said Danny of the forthcoming Newmarket show.

"People have had more time to connect with each other before the band come on stage too, so I feel like when we're stepping on stage, it's already going to be warmed up from the whole day's proceedings and people are just hopefully going to want to dance into the night."

For tickets, visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket