advertisement
advertisement
Popular
Latest News
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Concerts
Bruno Mars Makes Up For Rescheduled Show In the First of Five Sold-Out Concerts at Toronto's Rogers Stadium
The weather was more cooperative this time around, and Mars put all of his trademark showmanship into this one show to make up for it.
advertisement
The concert didn't have much in the way of surprises — the setlist was mostly identical to his other Romantic Tour shows, which kicked off in Las Vegas in April. But it felt crowd-pleasing and spectacular enough to fill the giant stage of Rogers Stadium and set the right red sequinned tone for the season to come.
Mars played 26 songs, spanning his whole career. His new songs from his 2026 album The Romantic fit right into his deep catalogue, bringing Latin rhythms into his stew of throwback funk, soul, rock, R&B and balladry. "I Just Might" has topped the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and currently sits at No. 2, and it was a highlight of his early set. Newer songs, like "Cha Cha Cha" shared space with bona fide classics like the funky "24K Magic."
A cherry red car was wheeled out onto the stage, while Mars crooned a series of covers on the hood from The Chi-Lites to Roger Troutman and his signature voice-distorting talkbox. When he followed it with "That's What I Like," it sounded like a natural continuation, putting Mars' songs right into that classic music history catalogue. He may wear his influences on his sleeve, but he is one of the few artists who can pull it off with the conviction, soul and dance moves to make it feel as much like a natural progression as a tribute throwback.
advertisement
His music has obvious cross-generational appeal, which has made him one of the most popular artists of the last nearly two decades — even if he isn't always the name you'd first think of. Even while he waited a decade between solo albums, he was still a familiar sight at the top of the Billboard charts, with collabs like the Lady Gaga duet "Die With A Smile" and Rosé collab "APT." remaining chart juggernauts (Mars didn't play the latter song, though BLACKPINK did on the same stage last summer).
One artist who is on his wavelength is Anderson .Paak, the fellow 40-year-old who opened the concert in his DJ Pee .Wee alter ego before Leon Thomas and then later joined Bruno Mars to reprise their 2021 Silk Sonic team-up. It was a highlight of the night, adding some variety and giving Mars someone to play off. .Paak's rapping while drumming routine never gets old, and their vocal tradeoffs during Philly Soul hits like "Smokin Out The Window" and "Leave The Door Open" showed their undeniable chemistry. They both bring a smiley, feel-good charisma that multiplies when they're together. Their mock-ego-filled banter also added some spontaneity to a night that could use some of it.
advertisement
The final set started with a series of heartfelt hits that united the far-reaching crowd, including a spectacular finale to "Marry You" that snowed white confetti throughout the crowd while church bells rang out. "Locked Out of Heaven," "Just The Way You Are" and "Uptown Funk" closed the night with a strong set of hits in a catalogue full of them before he finished it with an encore of the Romantic closing track "Dance With Me."
advertisement
Rogers Stadium
There was so much groove spilling out of Bruno Mars' Romantic Tour show that it spilled into downtown Toronto at hidden gem Queen West Eastern European jazz bar Drom Taberna. There, Anderson .Paak trumpeter Maurice "Mobetta" Brown and members of Bruno Mars' band The Hooligans jammed well into the wee hours. Rumours abounded of a sighting from the Silk Sonic boys, but their collaborators held it down on their own.
It had to go until the wee hours, because getting there took nearly that much time. New shuttle buses ran from the venue's alternate exit at Gate 3 on the way to Wilson subway station to cut down on the mad rush to leave the venue, but many buses held at the venue until the encore ended, meaning fans who left early still met the post-show crowd. Ubers were hard to come by as the whole city seemed to fight for rides. It was a busy night for a Sunday, but Toronto is a different city in the summer — especially after people are cooped up after a rain storm.
Bruno Mars Toronto Night 1 Setlist:
- Nothin' on You
- Risk It All
- Cha Cha Cha
- On My Soul
- 24K Magic
- Treasure
- God Was Showing Off
- I Just Might
- Perm
- Why You Wanna Fight?
- Oh Girl / I Miss You / You Are Everything / I Want to Be Your Man
- That's What I Like
- Something Serious
- Blast Off (Silk Sonic)
- Silk Sonic Intro (Silk Sonic)
- 777 (Silk Sonic)
- Fly As Me (Silk Sonic)
- Smokin Out the Window (Silk Sonic)
- Leave the Door Open (Silk Sonic)
- Marry You
- Die With a Smile
- It Will Rain / Talking to the Moon / When I Was Your Man
- Versace on the Floor (Instrumental)
- Locked Out of Heaven
- Just the Way You Are
- Uptown Funk
- Dance With Me
advertisement
Popular
advertisement