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Robbie Williams - BRITPOP Tour 2025

Sydney11
in Robbie Williams and Take That

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Robbie Williams offers more stand-up than concert

Publicerad 2025-08-08

Robbie Williams during the concert at Stadion in Stockholm.

Robbie Williams during the concert at Stadion in Stockholm. Photo: Björn Bergenheim/Rockfoto

Robbie Williams entertains the audience with a pretentious show at the Stadium, but is more of a charming celebrity than a pop star, writes Sara Martinsson.

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TextSara Martinsson

Robbie Williams

Stage: Stadion, Stockholm

From the point of view that he started his solo career in the wake of Britpop pop, Robbie Williams in the summer of 2025 is fairly timely. In the 90s, he was the one who sucked the last cool out of Cool Britannia, when he, as a former boy band member, jumped on the hype. Now, as Oasis fills arenas again, he's getting ready to once again put an end to the current trend: this fall, he'll release an album titled "Britpop." Ahead of the release, he warms up with a European tour, which on Thursday evening reaches Stockholm.

Over the Stadium, the Union Jack flies side by side with the Swedish flag. Between Sweden and the song-and-dance man from Stoke-on-Trent there is a special band. Williams is popular here, despite the fact that decades have passed since his last hit. The last time he was in Stockholm was only two years ago, and he has filled the stadium before.

Already in 2003, he performed one of his classic flight acts here. Of course, he repeats the signature trick on this visit as well. Already in connection with the opening "Rocket", he is celebrated upside down from a high altitude.

The flight is part of the show's demanding presentation, where ten dancers plus a full band march across the stage while a male voice declares that we will now enjoy "the world's best entertainer".

The emphasis on the entertainment element is probably necessary, so that no one gets the impression that it is at a concert. What we are actually treated to is instead, roughly, stand-up, where Williams' monologues about everything from parenthood to nipples are occasionally interrupted by a song. These are in themselves very generically framed, with electric guitars in the center that rigidly and steadily build up against every powerful arena chorus.

One could argue that a man with megahits such as "Angel", "Feel" and "Let me entertain you" is doing himself a disservice by grossly neglecting his own catalogue during two whole hours on stage.

But the question is whether Robbie Williams doesn't know exactly what he's doing. After all, it was a long time ago now that he was the world's biggest male artist. Today, he is mostly just a charming celebrity. And it's him, not the pop star, the audience will come back to see.

Review: Robbie Williams at the Stadium - DN.se

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  • frogec
    frogec

    I went on the gig on Friday 6h in Emirates! It was so cool! Robbie was fantastic and I really loved the C stage in the general admission. He was like 10m away :D

  • Laura130262
    Laura130262

    Nice to see lots of youngsters at the barrier there. We noticed how many men there were in the audience last Saturday - way more than 20 years ago

  • elisabeth1974
    elisabeth1974

    I am positive surprised how full the stadiums have been until now. Even Paris is sold out and France has never been his core audience

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Robbie Williams in Frankfurt Britpop, self-irony and a bit of Coldplay

The self-proclaimed "greatest entertainer in the world" makes a stop in Frankfurt: Robbie Williams' show at the Waldstadion begins as a musical return to Britpop and then becomes a successful mixture of nostalgia, humor and pathos.

By Jeannie Lukaszewicz

Published on 11.08.25 at 08:13 AM

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That must be it, British punctuality: Exactly at 8:45 p.m., Robbie Williams appears in an astronaut suit on the stage of Frankfurt's Waldstadion. "Rocket", the lead single of his upcoming album "Britpop", opens the set with a loud bang.

For a short time, the British pop star floats above the stage, followed by the first classics such as "Let Me Entertain You" and "Rock DJ". At this point, at the latest, the audience is warm.

Warming up in a football jersey

Although: Nobody had to warm up here. Already at the entrance, the mood is exuberant. Many people wear football shirts with "Williams" and the number 8 on the back - a tribute to Williams' youth as a football player.

The age of the people in the audience ranges from the early 20s to the mid-60s.

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Robbie Williams in an astronaut suit, sometimes on stage... Image ©: Jeannie Lukaszewicz (hr)

Williams at his best

He himself is in top form - vocally, physically, comedicly. With his usual charm, he swings cheerfully between entertainment, megalomania and self-irony between the songs: "If Michael Jackson can call himself King of Pop, I can also declare myself the greatest entertainer!"

Later follows lewd: "A little word about my nipples: I'm not cold and I'm not sexually aroused - I'm 51 now and I guess they'll stay that way." The mixture of dirty humor and genuine charisma is Williams' trademark - and it works.

From glitter suit to tank top

His outfits are as varied as the setlist: The astronaut look is followed by a red glitter suit, colorful tank stops with matching pants and finally - as a final act - a snow-white glitter suit.

Dancers accompany him choreographically through the show, each matching the theatricality of the songs.

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... sometimes hovering above it. Image ©: Jeannie Lukaszewicz (hr)

"Like Coldplay, only cheaper"

In the middle of the stadium there is a so-called "C Stage", to which the singer switches in the middle of the concert. "Coldplay always have one," he explains and grins, "so I called my management and wanted one too. And the bracelets. The one with the light. But they cost 10 euros per person. So... Mobile phone light is enough. It's like Coldplay tonight, only cheaper."

The entire stadium laughs before it turns into a small light show during "Surpreme".

A setlist like a roller coaster ride

The setlist is a British rollercoaster ride: In addition to new songs like "Spies" - where Williams asks the audience to pretend it's the best song of all time - he performs classics from his solo career, mashups and covers - from Sinatra to the Beatles.

A highlight: On the C Stage, Robbie tests which songs are known in Germany. He plays titles, asks the audience: "Do you know that?" The answer is simple: loud singing along to almost every song.

Between Take That, Tears and "My Way"

And: It wouldn't be a Robbie Williams concert if the British pop star didn't also make fun of his time with the boy band Take That.

It also gets emotional: When he dedicates "She's the One" to a certain Sarah from Dinkelsbühl - a ritual that should never be missing on his tours - Robbie Williams has tears in his eyes. "You treat me like one of you," he says, visibly moved, to the audience.

The Waldstadion in the here and now

Then it gets personal. Williams talks about his anxiety disorders. His wife motivates him again and again to go on stage. It is important to live in the here and now, without fear of the future or too much thought about the past.

This is followed by the Frank Sinatra cover "My Way", in the background pictures of his family can be seen on the screens. Goose bumps.

A Robbie for all generations

Finally, glitter again: In a white suit, Williams sings "Feel" before - how could it be otherwise - "Angels" closes the evening.

Confetti, pyro, cheering - but without sensationalism. Robbie Williams manages to bring British humour, musical nostalgia and real emotions to the big stage, and he does so with amazingly good stadium acoustics.

His "Britpop Tour" is not pure best-of fireworks, but a real statement: about getting older, moving on - and the really big entertainment.

Robbie Williams in Frankfurt: Britpop, self-irony and a bit of Coldplay | hessenschau.de | Culture


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Ayrton lights Robbie Williams Britpop world tour

12 August 2025

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The tour concludes on 7 October in Istanbul’s ITÜ Stadyumu (photo: Paul Normandale)

Europe - Robbie Williams’ 14th world tour, in support of his 13th studio album, Britpop, kicked off in Edinburgh’s Murrayfield stadium on 31 May at the beginning of a 37-date tour of the UK and Europe, reaching mainland Europe by late June before its scheduled culmination date on 7 October in Istanbul’s ITÜ Stadyumu. Lighting designer Paul Normandale of Blackburn-based Lite Alternative, the tour’s lighting supplier, selected a total of 132 IP65-rated Ayrton fixtures including Perseo Profile, Veloce Profile, Argo 6 FX and the new Mamba, as the mainstay of his rig for this demanding tour. 

This is the second time Normandale has toured with Williams; this time the Stufish-designed set is a dynamic construction of moving set pieces, large video screen flying pieces, a 25m wide main stage, a B-stage at the end of a catwalk and a C-stage further out into the crowd. The tour list mainly comprises stadiums, arenas and outdoor venues.

The IP65 rating of the Ayrton fixtures was an essential feature in Normandale’s fixture choice, proving invaluable in the summer storms and intense heat that have washed across the continent this summer. But a major challenge is in lighting the transition from daylight to dusk/dark that comes with summer stadium concerts, combined with the output from the video screen set pieces.

“I needed bright, IP65-rated fixtures capable of handling all these scenarios, which is where the Ayrton Veloce and Mamba are especially valuable,” says Normandale.

20 of Ayrton’s new laser-sourced Mamba fixtures were chosen specifically for placement on the main stage wings from where they add width and scale to the stage in the stadium settings and provided stunning aerial effects.

11 Veloce Profiles are rigged on the front truss at a trim height of 16m and used for aerial effects, while a further 18 Veloce Profiles are in floor positions for backlighting and further aerial effects. A single Veloce Profile is employed as backlighting for band solo positions, bringing the total to 30. “The Perseo has become a workhorse fixture, but the extra output of the Veloce is useful in stadium and large screen environments,” confirms Normandale.

67 Perseo Profile fixtures, Ayrton’s first compact multi-function IP65-rated fixture, are rigged on numerous ladder frames around the stage and on two flown trusses, and used as the show’s main effects lighting.

Finally, 15 Ayrton Argo 6 FX are rigged on the front truss for dancers’ wash light, and on the delay towers at a distance of 50m-85m from the main stage, providing key light for the C-Stage, B-Stage and thrust, with one Argo 6 FX held in reserve and positioned on the Rocket on which Williams makes his entrance, for backing vox and effects lighting.

Tour lighting director, Glen Johnson, adds: “The Veloce has been the standout moving light on the tour for me, with great optics and output, and the bonus of light and heavy frost turning it to a fantastic wash beam. The Mambas have caused the most interest from everyone with the punch, and great three beam options for Spot, Beam and Special mode. Regarding the Perseo, it has just been as reliable as the first time I used them, even though they take the most punishment on the show!”

The lighting is programmed and operated using two grandMA3 Full Size consoles (running MA3 software) and one grandMA3 Lite as a tech and support desk. Johnson highlights the significant improvements the MA3 brings over its predecessor, particularly in the fast-paced environment of a touring stadium show.

"Timecode is simpler and quicker, and with plugins it’s amazing to work with. It’s a huge improvement from the MA2," says Johnson. "Reference positions are also a massive time saver, cutting down the workload on over 80% of the palettes I need to build each day."

He also points to the console’s Phaser Engine as a powerful creative tool. "Once you get your head around what you can do with Phasers, you’ll never go back to an MA2. The possibilities are endless."

Creative credits for the tour include creative director Kim Gavin, lighting supplier Lite Alternative, lighting designer Paul Normandale, lighting director Glen Johnson, motion and set build by Wi Creations, set design by Stufish, special FX by ER Productions, and video by Phil Mercer Universal Pixels. Ayrton and MA are distributed exclusively in the UK by Ambersphere Solutions.

Read our in-depth report on Robbie Williams’ Britpop tour in LSi July 2025.


Ayrton lights Robbie Williams Britpop world tour

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SETLIST FRANKFURT 10/08

The Setlist

Main Stage:
Rocket
Let Me Entertain You
Song 2 / Seven Nation Army / Livin' on a Prayer (snippets; Blur / The White Stripes / Bon Jovi covers)
Monsoon
Minnie the Moocher (The Ho De Ho Song), (Cab Calloway and His Orchestra cover)
Rock DJ
Love My Life
Strong
The Road to Mandalay

C Stage:
Supreme (started with a snippet of "I Will Survive" and followed by a sing-a-long snippet of "Angels")
Better Man / Sexed Up / Tripping / Candy (snippets; with Thom Rylance from "The Lottery Winners)
Relight My Fire (Dan Hartman cover) (with Thom Rylance from "The Lottery Winners)
Something Beautiful

Main Stage:
Millennium
Theme From New York, New York (John Kander cover)
Spies
Kids
Band Interlude (including snippets from Roxanne, Sweet Dreams, West End Girls and All You Need Is Love)
She's the One (World Party cover)
My Way (Sinatra/Claude François cover)

Feel
Angels

Robbie Williams in Frankfurt: Britpop, self-irony and a bit of Coldplay | hessenschau.de | Culture

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Oooooh ! . Somebody at Trondheim not too happy with Robbie .. Maybe the reviewer was in bad humour as the weather looked awful 🤭

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Knut A Rosvold

@knutarnold

·

10 p.m.

This is how the "Britpop" tour has gone so far Happy reunions, a lot of talk, while some claim the tour is boring. Saturday takes over Robbie Williams Trondheim.

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Edited by Sydney11

He never gets good reviews in Scandinavia does he?

Seems it's been that way for years.

He keeps selling out the stadiums though. 😉

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