Live Review

Robbie Williams live at Emirates Stadium: all hail the king of entertainment

Robbie Williams wants to be known as the king of entertainment. “Life is tough; the world’s gone mad. We need a place to come together to have a shared experience,” he explains at the start of his second headline gig at London’s Emirates Stadium. The entire show, he continues, is his love letter to entertainment. “So forget about being cool and just commit.”

Words:Ali Shutler

Photos:Frances Beach

For the next 100 minutes, Robbie does everything in his power to give the crowd the best night of their lives. Early outings for the rowdy ‘Let Me Entertain You’ and the boisterous ‘Rock DJ’ set the tone, while a medley of stadium-sized hits from Foo Fighters, Blur, The White Stripes and Bon Jovi turn the venue into the biggest rock disco around.

There’s no sign of Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi for new single ‘Rocket’, the only track from upcoming album ‘Britpop’ that makes the set, but he’s joined by The Lottery Winners’ vocalist Thom Rylance and Lulu for a searing ‘Relight My Fire’ and there’s some serious dad dancing when Wiley, Lethal Bizzle and Scorcho perform their collaborative track ‘Can’t Touch This’. Yes, Robbie raps as well. There are also AI skits with past and future versions of himself alongside jokes about his turbulent history and the size of his penis.

The whole thing would feel cheesy if not for Williams’ charismatic blend of bravado and self-awareness. “You better be good because I’m phenomenal,” he smirks at one point. “Embrace your cringe,” he encourages a little later. And for the first half of the show, Emirates Stadium is treated to an over-the-top run-through of some of the finest pop songs ever written, with Robbie, the cartoonish all-singing, all-dancing ringmaster.

Later, though, he admits to the crowd that before heading out on his first stadium run since 2017, he got incredibly anxious and still doubts his relevance. He also reveals that his parents now have Parkinson’s and dementia, which makes him worried about his own future. It leads to an emotionally charged rendition of ‘My Way’ that’s both defiant and gut-wrenching. The prickling, heartfelt energy continues through the soaring ‘Feel’ and tender karaoke classic ‘Angels’.

Before Robbie takes to the stage, a video talks about the death of traditional entertainment due to the rise of social media and artificial intelligence. It’s not just an easy set-up for a nostalgic run-through of the greatest hits, though, with the same video talking about the irreplaceable human element as singers, dancers, and musicians prowl the stage. They’re a consistent presence throughout the night, giving tracks such as ‘Millennium’, ‘Kids’ and ‘Strong’ a snarling energy. Then there’s Robbie, the rebellious, desperate showman who’s at his most powerful when he’s vulnerable about what these timeless classics now mean to him. It’s a bold move, considering a lot of Britpop Summer is being championed by bands hoping to relive their glory days, but it makes for a smart, silly show with a lot of heart. It’s been 34 years since Take That’s debut single, but there’s still no one else who wears the crown quite like Robbie Williams. All hail the king of entertainment.