Robbie Williams took Melbourne by storm on Thursday afternoon when he performed a free concert in Federation Square at 5pm.
The English pop star, 50, packed the venue with fans who camped out for hours to see the singer-songwriter perform at the surprise performance.
Since standing spots went to those who were the first to arrive, heartbroken fans who missed out were forced to watch Robbie perform on screen at Birrarung Marr Park.
The iHeartLIVE concert was completely free to viewers as Robbie performed his biggest hits to promote his new biopic Better Man.
Fed Square quickly reached capacity as fans rushed to secure a spot at the concert, leaving hundreds resting on blankets on top of a hill above the river.
The award-winning hitmaker opened the show with his 1997 smash hit Let Me Entertain You while stepping out in a crisp white jacket and dazzling sunglasses.
Robbie Williams, 50, took Melbourne by storm on Thursday afternoon when he performed a free concert in Federation Square at 5pm.
The English pop star packed the venue with fans who camped out for hours to see the singer-songwriter perform at the surprise performance.
The iHeartLIVE concert was completely free to viewers as Robbie performed his biggest hits to promote his new biopic Better Man.
Fans in attendance quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their experience, with one person writing: “Just watched Robbie Williams perform live.” Impressive artist.’
‘Release Robbie William’s Fed Square concert? Yes, damn,” added another.
A third said: “God bless the crazy people who post live on social media.” “Robbie Williams is fucking brilliant.”
Other Melburnians were stunned when they stumbled upon a sudden pop concert during their day in the city.
“I was walking around my city and saw Robbie Williams performing tf,” one person said.
‘The trip home was delayed because Robbie Williams is doing a random free concert in the middle of the city. So I ended up listening to Angels live while waiting for my tram,” wrote another.
Footage and footage from the concert showed fans shouting shoulder to shoulder as they watched Robbie dominate the stage.
And the singer proved he’s as charming as they come, as he took the time to share jokes with the crowd between songs.
Fed Square quickly reached capacity as fans scrambled to secure a spot at the concert, with hundreds of people lounging on blankets on top of a hill above the river.
Fans in attendance quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their experience, with one person writing: “Just watched Robbie Williams perform live.” Impressive artist
Footage and footage from the concert showed fans shouting shoulder to shoulder as they watched Robbie dominate the stage.
“What makes me laugh about all this is the police horses here because of the menopausal crowd I attract,” he joked at one point.
“They’re violent bastards.”
A front row fan named Emily burst into tears when Robbie turned to her and revealed that it was the first time she had seen him live because she had never been able to afford tickets to his previous concerts.
Moved by her tears, Robbie dedicated his song She’s The One to his fan, complementing the lyric ‘someone’ with ‘Emily’.
“This is what you call pleasing the locals,” he joked cheekily.
The all-ages concert began at 5pm on Thursday, and Robbie moved to the Astor Theater in Windsor when it ended to take part in a question and answer session before a screening of his biopic.
While in Melbourne, Robbie will also receive a key to the city from Mayor Nick Reece in recognition of the contribution his film made to the city.
The Better Man clip was filmed in Melbourne, creating 2,929 jobs and raising $142 million for Victoria.
It follows Robbie’s rise to fame in Europe and the UK, with Jonno Davies playing the hitmaker in CGI monkey form.
According to a City of Melbourne spokesperson, only 40 keys to the city have been handed out in history, and Robbie joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna and Olivia Newton John in receiving the honour.
Mayor Nick Reece said: “There is no better man to hold the key to our city than legendary British pop singer Robbie Williams.”
“From one tragic Carlton to another, I can’t wait to share the stage with Robbie and create another iconic Melbourne moment for us all to appreciate.”