Music charts are great for tracking sales and streams. But the true test of new material is to play it live. If you announce “Here’s something from the new album,” and the crowd starts filing to the lavatory, you’re in trouble.
But if fans sing along to the first new song you perform, you have a hit.
Bruno Mars opened “The Romantic” tour with the opening track from that album, “Risk It All.” As the red-suited superstar shifted to the second verse, “Say what you want to the moon, watch me learn to fly,” the crowd shouted the lyrics back.
Crazy, but it’s true. Mars has another top-selling album and a smash tour that kicked off Friday night at a packed Allegiant Stadium. Early reports are more than 50,000 turned out for the Dolby Live headliner.
If opening night is an indication, Mars should be met with an ear-splitting response in Saturday’s second show at Allegiant and in all of his nearly 80 “Romantic” tour dates.
Earlier in the day, you might have heard, Mars was honored with his own street at Park MGM, a Key to the Las Vegas Strip, a commemorative state of Nevada flag, and a parade lined with every iconic Las Vegas image aside from maybe the Flying Elvi (featured in “Honeymoon in Vegas,” in which a 6-year-old Mars performed an Elvis impression).
Mars kicked off the tour in Las Vegas because it’s a city he loves, and where he’s sold 800,000 tickets in nearly a decade at Dolby Live. Find the theater just off the Strip, along Bruno Mars Drive.
More highlights from Mars’ tour opener:
Silk-smooth reunion. Anderson .Paak’s opening set as DJ Pee .Wee, with a lift from energized sidekick Eddie McDonald, was advertised. But a Silk Sonic revival was not. With opening video from the esteemed Bootsy Collins, the duo smashed a five-song set of “Blast Off,” “777,” “Fly as Me,” “Smokin’ Out the Window” and “Leave the Door Open.” Give the guys credit for chiseling time to produce this stretch (we would love a return of Silk Sonic’s residency at Dolby Live, down the line). Their onstage interplay was intact. Read on for evidence …
Debt shtick. This reference seemed inevitable, as .Paak called to Mars, “When I think of how much debt,I mean, how many steps, it took to get here, I get emotional,” and walked in acircle while singing, “Come on over,” from “Leave the Door Open.” Mars grinned and answered, “I’m debt free. I paid the casino a long time ago.” A clear (from here) reference to reports of Mars being in debt with MGM Resorts over gambling losses, which company officials have consistently denied. Mars has made a “debt-free” joke before from the stage, in August, when he joined Rosé at SoFi Stadium, shouting he was “almost out of debt” as the theme from “Rocky” played (he later said the comment was “a joke”). Less noticed was .Paak’s comment during his F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix set in August, when he introduced “Leave the Door Open” as “the song that got Bruno Mars out of debt.”
He just might. On the topic of sonic, new tracks “I Just Might,” the lead single from “The Romantic,” packed a punch. So did the Latin-infused “Something Serious” and “Cha Cha Che,” both personal favorites. Those songs are every bit as powerful as …
“Locked Out of Heaven.” This one is a consistent high mark in Mars’ set list. The urge to groove is palpable — palpable, I tell you! — with Mars and the Hooligans keeping step. Musicians around the world can be inspired (and also miffed) that the Hooligans have returned “band choreo” to stage.
“Romantic” interpretations. Mars opened the show with a rich, lovey-dovey spirit, saying everyone should love on each other and bask in the new album’s embracing theme. But he also ran the range of relationship emotions, from the aching breakup anthem “I Was Your Man” to “Smokin’ Out the Window,” where the superstar complains of his partner making him pay for rent, vacations, the diamonds on her neck and wrists. As the song argues, when you’re dropping $40k at Tiffany’s, it’s time to call it.
Imaginative application of A.I. imagery. Mars told the crowd of his earlier street dedication, with an image of Bruno Mars Drive dialed up for the big screen. Mars was quickly shown as a Mr. Olympia-style bodybuilder, flexing in front of the street sign and Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. It might make a great album cover one day.
The Angel Baby Cam. A variation of The Kiss Cam, which finds ladies in the crowd so Mars can call them out unexpectedly. Fans love it already. It seems a fool-proof concept.
Phones aplenty. An area where I prefer Mars’ Dolby Live shows is the locking of phones. We captured and posted some killer content from Friday’s performance, but watched an otherwise terrific performance through a sea of extended arms and glowing screens. Sometimes taking in the moment is the way to go, especially at a Mars show. And we did not hear the cult classic “I Took Your Phones Away,” now tabled indefinitely.
“The national anthem” does not close the show. A musician friend refers to “Uptown Funk” that way, given its now generation-spanning popularity. But it was the night’s penultimate song, even after pyro and strobes seemed to shut down the party. Instead, Mars sent everyone home with a little more love, “Dance With Me,” from “The Romantic.” The crowd knew what to do, and what to sing.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
Bruno Mars’ set list
Friday, April 11, 2026, Allegiant Stadium
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Risk It All
Cha Cha Cha
On My Soul
24K Magic
Treasure
God Was Showing Off
I Just Might
Perm
Why You Wanna Fight?
Low Rider Medley (Oh Girl, Miss You, Everything, Wannabe, That’s What I Like)
Something Serious
Blast Off
777
Fly as Me
Smokin’ Out the Window
Leave the Door Open
Marry You
Die With a Smile
It Will Rain
Talking to the Moon
When I Was Your Man
Versace on the Floor (Saxophone Only)
Locked Out of Heaven
Just the Way You Are
Uptown Funk
Dance With Me