Few pop stars making hits today can do what Bruno Mars does — and he makes it look easy.
For the past 16 years, Mars has ruled the airwaves and streaming services with his catchy, often retro-sounding songs. Since the release of 2010’s “Doo-Wops and Hooligans,” he’s had 10 singles peak at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and his four solo albums have been certified platinum a combined 19 times. He’s easily one of the most dominant pop musicians in the world.
So it makes sense that on Saturday night he was able to fill Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, only his third time playing Pittsburgh and his first time since 2017. And his fans were ready to show him the love during his two-hour-long set.
Along with his solo music, Mars has also embarked on a collaborative project called Silk Sonic with fellow singing sensation Anderson .Paak. Paak joined Mars on this tour, and he served as Saturday night’s opener as his charismatic alter ego DJ Pee Wee. He hyped up the crowd with classics like ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” but he also paid homage to the local area with Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow.”
He ended his set with his own collaboration with the late Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller, “Dang!” “This one’s dedicated to my brother, Mac Miller,” he said to the cheers of the crowd.
At about 8:50 p.m., Mars took the stage after a short video of him praying for the success and safety of the show in a church, followed by the dramatic horns that open “Risk It All,” the second single from his newest album “The Romantic.” In a red-and-gold suit and red headband, Mars stormed the stage with his band, The Hooligans.
“The Romantic” delves into smooth-yet-bombastic Latin influences, more so than any of Mars’ previous releases. He showed off how well this new project works with second the song “Cha Cha Cha,” where he displayed remarkable prowess at the Conga drums, and kicked things up another notch with the frenetic “On My Soul.” As the song wound to its close, the night’s first spray of red fireworks shot into the sky.
“It’s called The Romantic Tour for a reason. You want to know why? Because tonight we’re singing about love,” he said, introducing himself to the crowd. Then he transitioned from tunes off of “The Romantic” to some of his deep, deep bench of hits, starting with the old-school cool “24k Magic” and transitioning into “Treasure,” his smooth vocals complementing the song’s twanging bass line.
Bruno Mars The Romantic Tour ????
???? Pitsburgh/ Pensilvânia ????????
????️ Acrisure Stadium
???? 29/08/2026 pic.twitter.com/PjW4COAWf8
— The Bruno Mars Club – The Romantic ???? (@moonmarsjungle) August 30, 2026
During “God Was Showing Off,” he flirted with the women of the crowd, showing some on the screens with the heart-shaped “Angel Baby Cam.” He followed that with the lead single from “The Romantic,” dance-floor-filling “I Just Might.”
Showing off the darker side of love, Mars seemed to sing his own heartbreak away in “Why You Wanna Fight?” with a red classic convertible making its way onto the stage. He used the car’s hood as its own miniature stage as he grooved his way through “That’s What I Like.” Then, he donned a guitar for a finale of sorts in “Something Serious,” playing a keening guitar solo that was just as exuberant and powerful as his vocals.
He brought out Paak for a five-song mini-set of Silk Sonic songs, including “777,” “Fly As Me,” “Smoking Out the Window” and their signature tune, “Leave the Door Open.” Both men wore matching black suits as they played instruments and performed the playful, butter-smooth tunes, often in perfect harmony.
After Paak’s final exit from the stage, it was a straight run of hits until the show’s conclusion. It started with the dizzily euphoric “Marry You,” a perfect tune as the nearly full moon rose over the stage. At the song’s conclusion, Mars took a seat at the piano, where he remained for an impassioned run of shortened songs, from “It Will Rain” to crowd favorite “When I Was Your Man.”
After a brief interlude of “Versace on the Floor,” he dove right into pyrotechnics-laden “Locked Out of Heaven,” which had the stands shaking with dancing fans. The penultimate song, “Just the Way You Are,” was dedicated to “each and every one of you” and Mars asked everyone to sing along as he trilled his way through in a low, almost awed cadence.
He asked the crowd if they wanted one more and the answer was a resounding “yes.” And how else could the night end? He wrapped it up with an impeccable rendition of modern party classic “Uptown Funk,” leaving the show on the highest note possible.
Through the whole show, Mars served vocals better than on record, played multiple instruments, danced with a natural and innate grace and had a sun-bright grin on his face the entire time. It should come as no surprise that the 40-year-old star is filling football stadiums — and hopefully he’ll keep doing it for a long time to come.