New Kids On the Block Announce Summer Tour With TLC, Nelly

The pop group is teaming up with TLC and Nelly for a blockbuster summer tour.

ByABC News
January 20, 2015, 8:32 AM

— -- The New Kids On the Block are back.

The original boy band is going on tour this summer and teaming up with some special guests: Nelly and TLC.

“It’s going to be one big, huge, massive party,” band member Joey McIntyre said today on “Good Morning America.” “That’s a lot of hit records in one night. I’m excited.”

Band members Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood made the announcement live today on "GMA" and were joined by TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins.

“We are bringing with us the biggest girl group in the history of music—TLC,” Wahlberg explained. “This is such a great bill and we have so many hit records and such huge followings that we just want to make it the party of the year. That’s why we call it ‘The Main Event.’ It’s going to be the event of the year.”

The stage being used for the tour is “the most elaborate thing” New Kids on the Block has ever used “in the history of [their] band,” Wahlberg added.

“We’ve built bar seats around the stage so our fans can literally sit right on the stage and converse with us and we can share their snacks and drinks if we want to,” he explained. “It’s going to be incredible. It’s got lifts and pop ups and all types of amazing things.”

The men of New Kids on the Block and the women of TLC worked together at the Mixtape Festival in Hershey, Pennsylvania, last year and say “that’s when the ideas started to brew” for a potential collaboration.

“We all fell in love at that time and that’s when the ideas started to brew,” said TLC’s Thomas. “When our manager called us, we were like ‘Hell yeah.’ I think it’s a perfect combination.”

Nelly, who is currently overseas, sent in a special video message about the summer collaboration.

“Yo ‘Good Morning America,’” Nelly said in the recording. “Sorry I couldn’t be there right now. I’m currently in Japan performing for our troops. But I will be on ‘The Main Event’ tour with the homies New Kids on the Block and the homegirls TLC. That’s right, so make sure y’all come—show out.

TLC, who recently announced their return with a Kickstarter-funded album because they “wanted [their] fans to be involved” in their music, also got a special surprise from Walhlberg this morning.

“I’m pledging $10,000 right now. It’s going in. We’re in,” he said, adding one stipulation. “But you have to do a duet with us.”

The "The Main Event" tour kicks off on Friday, May 1, 2015, in Las Vegas with stops across the country, ending in Buffalo, N.Y., in July. Tickets can be purchased starting Jan. 31 through Ticketmaster. Advanced tickets can be purchased Jan. 23 for American Express card members.