BRYAN ADAMS doesn’t really do slow starts, and Cardiff didn’t ask for one. Last night (Tuesday 9th December), the Utilita Arena was packed and properly buzzing, the kind of crowd where you can feel the shared hope that this is going to be one of those nights people bang on about for years. The good news is that Bryan made that easy. This ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES stop in the capital landed exactly how you’d want it to: big songs, no messing, and an atmosphere that never drifted.
The best choice of the night came before a note was even played. Instead of appearing on the main stage and letting the cheers do the heavy lifting, Bryan burst into view on a smaller stage at the back of the arena, close enough to see faces and feel the surprise ripple through the seats. Those first moments were stripped back and personal, and it immediately reset the scale of the room. He opened acoustically from the back of the hall, and you could tell why: it put everyone in the same place at once.
Then came the little pilgrimage through the crowd to the main stage, with people leaning in, phones up, grinning like they’d just won something. If there’s such a thing as a “welcome to Cardiff” moment, this was it. Not a scripted bit of stagecraft, more a reminder that Bryan knows how to work an arena without hiding behind it.
Once he hit the main stage, the night turned from clever to relentless. The Roll With the Punches tour, to coin a phrase, really was knockout from start to finish: huge belters, back to back, and a set built to keep the room moving. The run of songs alone tells you what kind of show this was: “Run to You,” “18 til I Die,” “It’s Only Love,” “Heaven,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” and of course “Summer of ’69.”
And it wasn’t just about wheeling out the classics and letting nostalgia do the work. The newer material sat comfortably in the set, especially the title track “Roll With the Punches,” which came with the kind of punchy confidence you only get when an artist still believes in what they’re making now.
There were smart mood shifts, too. “Please Forgive Me” and “Heaven” hit with that familiar slow burn, the arena turning into one big singalong without tipping into syrup. Then he’d lift it again, keeping the pace and never letting the energy sag for long. Even the covers were chosen with the crowd in mind, giving the room permission to go a bit looser before snapping back into the hits.
Bryan himself remains one of the best frontmen in the business because he doesn’t overcomplicate it. He shows up, sings the songs, and makes sure the crowd feels like they’re part of the evening rather than watching it from a distance. His voice still carries that sandpaper edge that suits these songs, and the phrasing is so confident it comes across as effortless.
Behind him, the band were superb: tight without being stiff, loud without being messy, and always serving the song. The playing had that touring-muscle precision, but with enough looseness to keep it human. When the set leans into straight-ahead rock, they hit hard. When it softens, they give him space. It’s a simple balance, but not an easy one, and they nailed it.
The show even matched the mood outside of the Arena, one of festive spirit as Bryan rounded off the night with a stripped back Christmas song. There couldn’t have been a better present to end a magical night.
This Cardiff show was a reminder of why Bryan Adams is still such a reliable live bet. The staging was thoughtful, the set was stacked, and the performance never lost its grip on the room. Plenty of artists can play an arena. Fewer can make it feel welcoming. Bryan managed both, and sent a very happy crowd out into the cold with melodies still ringing in their ears.
