Bruno Mars has an unexpected opening before Wembley party starts

Bruno Mars appeared determined to lift the nation’s mood during the first of his six nights at Wembley Stadium.

His last UK performance came 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.

But wearing an England football scarf, Union Jack bucket hat and clutching a Paddington Bear, the showman energised a 75,000-strong, multi-generational crowd.

After nearly a decade away from UK audiences, Mars proved why fans had snapped up tickets in record numbers.

The show began with a pre-recorded video of Mars praying in a church for a good performance, before he emerged beneath visuals of a stained-glass window in a red suit bejewelled with roses.

It was a suitably theatrical opening to a two-hour, 15-minute set. But for those who had avoided spoilers, Risk It All, a slow R&B ballad from Mars’ latest album, The Romantic, was perhaps an unexpected opener.

Any surprise was short-lived. Within minutes, Mars sat behind a pair of bright red congas for Cha Cha, signalling the start of a set that moved between R&B, funk, Latin influences and pop.

It was an early glimpse of what was to come as he declared: “London, it’s time to party.”

The crowd quickly accepted the invitation. From then on, neither Mars nor his fans stood still.

24K Magic and Treasure prompted one of the night’s biggest singalongs. As Mars sang “put your pinky rings up to the moon”, thousands of little fingers rose into the air.

The opening run of songs showed why Mars has remained one of pop’s most reliable live performers. Rather than relying on one sound, he moved between genres without ever losing the crowd.

Romance has always been at the heart of the singer’s music, and it soon became the focus of the show.

“Tonight we sing about love,” he told the crowd after Treasure, before introducing the Angel Baby Cam, a segment in which fans’ reactions were projected onto the giant screens as he serenaded them.

It was one of several moments that played into his trademark romantic showmanship.

Later, he even emerged wearing a cape emblazoned with the words The Romantic, which appeared to 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”.

That chemistry was evident as Anderson .Paak joined Mars on stage for a four-song Silk Sonic segment, with the pair delivering tightly choreographed Motown-inspired dance routines and playful banter.

This included their attempts at British accents as they declared the evening to be “absolutely wicked”.

Silk Sonic was not the only collaboration to feature. Although 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 earned its place alongside Mars’ more established hits.

Among the crowd were Paul, 58, and his children Alex, 23, and Thomas, 20, who said the eight-year wait had been worth it.

Paul, who jokingly called the singer “Barry Bruno”, said the family had grown up listening to his music.

“We’ve all got little emotional ties to each song,” they told BBC News. “It felt right to come together.”

For this family, Wembley hosting Mars’ only UK dates was not an issue.

“I think this is the most iconic venue,” Alex said.

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, before Uptown Funk 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.

It left the crowd on a reflective note, perhaps hoping they would not have to wait another eight years to see him again.