Live Report: Robbie Williams crowns himself "king of entertainment" at thrilling Croke Park show

In 1990, a 16-year-old Robbie Williams became the youngest member of English pop band Take That. In 1996, Williams debuted his solo career with top-five charting singles. In 1997, he released 'Angels' which went down in history as one of the greatest British songs of the century. In 2002, he made the biggest music deal in UK history by signing a £80 million (€92 million) contract with EMI. In 2008, he officially sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history. In 2012, his track 'Candy' premiered at number one and extended his reach to younger audiences. In the summer of 2025, he launched his Britpop Tour.

On Saturday night, Williams performed for 80,000 screaming fans at Croke Park in what he declared the best show of his entire career.

As the stadium buzzed in anticipation, massive screens on stage played a witty monologue about the concept of entertainment. It seemed intended to be ironic; commentary about the value of human entertainers in the age of artificial intelligence was interspersed with deepfake portrayals of music legends like David Bowie and Freddie Mercury praising Williams.

The intro stuck out, especially after incidents like Rod Stewart's AI-generated tribute to Ozzy Osbourne earlier this month. At Stewart's gig, AI Freddie Mercury takes selfies in heaven. At Williams', AI Freddie Mercury calls the 'Angels' singer "born to rule the stadium." As tongue-in-cheek as it may be intended, it could very well have been interpreted as disrespectful or egotistical.

Robbie Williams at Croke Park 23-08-25. Copyright Peter OHanlon/ hotpress.com

Albeit, ego is a key facet of Williams' stage persona. This was fairly obvious as he burst onto the stage in a space suit and aviators, surrounded by dancers clad in RW-branded dresses.

Whilst singing the guitar-driven belter 'Rocket' (a recently released track off of his upcoming Britpop record) he climbed a lofty arch structure, which was raised in spaceship-like liftoff — complete with pyrotechnics — from which Williams dropped upside down back to the stage.

Robbie Williams at Croke Park 23-08-25. Copyright Peter OHanlon/ hotpress.com

He didn't give fans a chance to pick their jaws up off the ground before launching into his aptly-named 1997 campy rock tune 'Let Me Entertain You'. In the first of many costume changes, Williams switched into a bedazzled red tracksuit — a nod to his iconic outfit at Glastonbury 1995, where he famously partied with Oasis shortly after leaving Take That.

There were quite a few references to his colourful past. Perhaps the most memorable was a conversation with a deepfake of his 17-year-old self projected onto the screen. On the video, young Williams remarked that he had just joined Take That and is excited to play music with a band he thinks he'll be in forever, adding that he would never drugs and alcohol like other rockstars (when he got older, it was Williams' addictions to drugs and alcohol that ultimately led to his departure from the band).

Later joined on stage by support act The Lottery Winners, Williams performed a rendition of Take That's 'Relight My Fire'. As he explained to the crowd, Williams was originally tapped for lead vocals on the track, but disputes within the band led to Gary Barlow singing instead.

Robbie Williams at Croke Park 23-08-25. Copyright Peter OHanlon/ hotpress.com

Another stand-out moment came about halfway through, when Williams brought Mayo musician and comedian Garron Noone on stage.

"I did a little gig last night here in Dublin, and I made a few friends," said Williams, referring to his surprise show at the 37 Dawson Street pub the night prior with Noone and a handful of other Irish musicians. "So I thought that I'd recreate what we did last night here on this stage."

After performing a rendition of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads', Williams referenced Noone's famous catchphrases, telling the crowd, "Look after him, he's delicious!"

After a few more wild numbers full of costumes and dancers, Williams toned down his stage character to get real with the audience.

"Tonight, you guys have been the best audience I've ever had, ever," Williams told the crowd. "I guess a few of you are thinking, I bet he says that every night. I fucking don't. Every show that I do from now on for the rest of my life is going to be measured against you guys. And I bet you, whoever it is, wherever they are, if they're not in this country, they're coming second, third and fourth."

Though his expression was sincere, he managed to work in a cheeky comment of, "What am I going to do with all this love? I'm going to be in a hotel room in an hour with a pack of prawn cocktail Pringles, watching Sky News and going, 'what the fuck just happened to me?'"

Robbie Williams at Croke Park 23-08-25. Copyright Peter OHanlon/ hotpress.com

Williams is a master of wittiness — from joking about being as ambitious as Michael Jackson "without the other stuff" to his tour poster poking fun at Just Stop Oil's paint attacks (it pictures activists clad in "Just Stop Pop" shirts throwing paint on a portrait of Williams) — but moreso, he is a master of showmanship.

At the start of his show, Williams asked, "What is entertainment?" The question itself must be ironic; after dozens of flamboyant costume changes, streamer cannons, beyond talented dancers and backup singers, comedic quips and songs that entire nations know by heart, how could there be any doubt?

At Croke Park, one thing was for certain: Robbie Williams is entertainment.