Bruno Mars appeared determined to lift the nation's mood during the first of his six nights at Wembley Stadium. His last UK performance took place in July 2018, shortly after England had been knocked out of the men's World Cup semi-finals. Eight years later, history had repeated itself, yet the showman arrived ready to energize a 75,000-strong, multi-generational crowd.
Dressed in an England football scarf, a Union Jack bucket hat, and clutching a Paddington Bear, Mars proved exactly why fans had snapped up tickets in record numbers after nearly a decade away from UK audiences.
The show opened with a pre-recorded video of Mars praying in a church for a successful performance. He then emerged beneath visuals of a stained-glass window, wearing a red suit bejewelled with roses. Any initial surprise was brief, as within minutes, Mars sat behind a pair of bright red congas for the track Cha Cha.
This signaled the start of a set that fluidly moved between R&B, funk, Latin influences, and pop. As he declared, "London, it's time to party," the crowd immediately accepted the invitation, and from that point forward, neither the artist nor his fans stood still.
Hits like 24K Magic and Treasure prompted one of the night's biggest singalongs. As Mars sang the line "put your pinky rings up to the moon," thousands of fans rose their little fingers into the air. The opening run of songs demonstrated why Mars remains one of pop's most reliable live performers, as he navigated different genres without ever losing the momentum of the crowd.
Romance has always been at the heart of his music, and it soon became the focus of the show.
After Treasure, he told the audience, "Tonight we sing about love," before introducing the Angel Baby Cam, a segment where fan reactions were projected onto giant screens while he serenaded them. Later, he emerged wearing a cape emblazoned with the words The Romantic, which appeared to be a nod to soul legend James Brown.
In the years between his solo releases, Mars has focused on collaborations, most notably Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak, a partnership he has previously described as "natural and organic." This chemistry was clearly evident as Anderson .Paak joined Mars on stage for a four-song Silk Sonic segment.
The pair delivered tightly choreographed, Motown-inspired dance routines and playful banter, which included their attempts at British accents as they declared the evening to be "absolutely wicked."
While Mars has recently enjoyed chart success with Die With a Smile, alongside Lady Gaga, and APT. with Rosé, only the former made the setlist. Performed during the show's ballad section, Die With a Smile prompted one of the evening's biggest singalongs, suggesting the song has already earned its place alongside his more established hits.
Among the crowd were Paul, 58, and his children Alex, 23, and Thomas, 20, who traveled from Hertfordshire to watch the show.
Paul, who jokingly referred to the singer as "Barry Bruno," noted that the family had grown up listening to his music. "We've all got little emotional ties to each song," they told reporters, adding that it felt right to come together for the event. For this family, Wembley hosting the singer's only UK dates was not an issue, with Alex adding, "I think this is the most iconic venue."
As the show drew to a close, Mars returned to the songs that helped cement his place as one of pop's biggest stars. For his 2010 hit Just the Way You Are, the singer asked for the stadium lights to be turned up so he could see the crowd, revealing thousands of fans singing every word back to him.
This was followed by Uptown Funk, which transformed Wembley into a giant dancefloor complete with fireworks and gold confetti.
The show ended with Dance With Me, a ballad in which Mars yearns for one last slow dance to save a struggling relationship. Like Risk It All at the start of the evening, it was an unexpected choice to end the concert, leaving the crowd on a reflective note and perhaps hoping they would not have to wait another eight years to see him again.
