Robbie Williams announces arena tour to celebrate 25 years as solo artist

Robbie Williams has announced an autumn arena tour across the UK and Ireland marking 25 years as a solo singer.

The pop superstar, 48, will kick off with two nights at London’s O2 in October, before taking his tour to Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin.

The eight-stop tour will come a month after the release of his newest album XXV on September 9.

The album features re-recorded versions of his greatest hits and fan favourites including Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ and Millennium – newly orchestrated with the Metropole Orkest.

It also includes the newest version of his 1997 hit ballad Angels, which Williams performed in the half-time interval at Soccer Aid at the London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford for Soccer Aid on Sunday.

Several new tracks including Lost, Disco Symphony, More Than This and The World And Her Mother are also promised.

The album marks the 25-year milestone in Williams’ glittering career as one of the world’s most decorated artists, with 13 UK number one albums, having left boyband Take That to pursue a solo career in 1995.

The group notched up eight number one hits and sold 10 million albums in the 1990s but tensions began to show between Gary Barlow, seen as the serious songwriter of the group, and Williams, the rebellious joker.

Together with Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange, Take That were hailed as Britain’s biggest boyband in the 1990s, evoking hysteria reminiscent of The Beatles.