{"id":2038907,"date":"2026-07-11T12:39:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2038907"},"modified":"2026-07-11T12:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:39:45","slug":"robbie-williams-and-cmat-deliver-ultimate-showmanship-on-day-two-of-bilbao-bbk-live-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2038907","title":{"rendered":"Robbie Williams and CMAT deliver ultimate showmanship on day two of Bilbao BBK Live 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Robbie-Williams-@sergioalbert_-18-2.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Robbie Williams and CMAT deliver ultimate showmanship on day two of Bilbao BBK Live 2026<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The Basque weekender continued with sets from Tomora, Belle and Sebastian and more.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> NME<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-11T13:39:45+01:00\">11th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Robbie-Williams-@sergioalbert_-18-2-696x442.jpg\" alt title=\"BBL26_Robbie Williams @sergioalbert_ 18-2\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Robbie Williams performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sergio Albert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><em>In partnership with Bilbao BBK Live.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Words:<\/strong> Lisa Wright<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Bilbao BBK Live 2026 knows how to scratch all your musical itches. Looking for erotically-charged, meticulously-crafted club pop or timeless, joyous hits given a clever on-stage makeover? Look no further than FKA Twigs and David Byrne on day one. Want a slice of ultimate catharsis via the best break-up album of the decade, or to throw yourself around in the pit and thrash it out? Lily Allen and IDLES have got your back on Saturday\u2019s closing night.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Basque Country weekender\u2019s turbo-charged Friday bill? Well, that was a time for all-out entertainment via quite probably the two most charismatic performers that the UK and Ireland have produced in the last 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>If CMAT is, in star power wattage terms, the natural successor to the night\u2019s headliner Robbie Williams, then there were plenty of other thrills to be found on the scenic slope of Mount Cometas too. From a late night rave with Aurora and The Chemical Brothers\u2019 Tom Rowlands \u2013 aka TOMORA \u2013 to some balmy afternoon blues courtesy of Alabama Shakes, here\u2019s all the action from day two of Bilbao BBK Live\u2019s epic 20th anniversary year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3956417\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_ALCALANORTE_@patrymartinphoto_5-3.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Robbie Williams pulls out all the stops\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Robert Peter Williams \u2013 the most successful British artist in UK chart history, with a recent, record-breaking 16th Number One album to his name \u2013 is obsessed with the idea of entertainment. \u201cIs this entertainment?\u201d he questioned, getting the absolutely rammed main stage crowd to sing back a series of call and response riffs. Maybe this might be, he implicitly suggested, as the cocksure swagger of \u2018Rock DJ\u2019 pointed towards a fake newspaper headline on stage asking \u201cIs Robbie the greatest entertainer?\u201d A dancer ripped it off to reveal a second headline underneath: \u201cOf course he fucking is!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>These were two moments in the wild ride of Robbie\u2019s Friday night headline set \u2013 easily the biggest audience draw of the weekend so far \u2013 that underlined the Stoke star\u2019s raison d\u2019etre. But really, the whole of Williams\u2019 gloriously uninhibited 90-minute extravaganza was a love letter to pure showmanship. In his own words, which he delivered \u2013 naturally \u2013 whilst sitting at a piano, wearing a giant pink feather boa and eating a banana before playing a cover of \u2018New York, New York\u2019: \u201cIf you\u2019re still trying to be cool, stop it, it\u2019s exhausting. You look like a fucking wanker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Robbie went all-in on getting the crowd as revved up as possible via the sort of relentless bag of tricks that exemplified the singer\u2019s unique place in UK pop \u2013 part stadium-sized juggernaut, part cheeky Butlins entertainer. Has anyone ever played more covers during a festival headline than this? Quite possibly not. As well as \u2018New York, New York\u2019 and a bit of his old muckers Take That\u2019s \u2018Relight My Fire\u2019, Bilbao got a medley of hits from Depeche Mode to The Beatles to introduce his band, plus a rendition of \u2018My Way\u2019, dedicated to his dad.<\/p>\n<p>The family presence was out in full force, with a photo album slideshow during \u2018Love My Life\u2019 and an appearance from eldest daughter Teddy during \u2018Angels\u2019. Older, reformed Robbie the family man has a tendency to veer into Live Laugh Love territory, but the presence of Robbie the superstar was still there for all to see. When the hits came, they were inarguable: \u2018She\u2019s The One\u2019, \u2018Feel\u2019, \u2018Millenium\u2019. \u201cYou\u2019d better be fucking good because I am phenomenal,\u201d Robbie declared at the start of the set \u2013 he wasn\u2019t wrong.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956420\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956420\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956420\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Robbie-Williams-@sergioalbert_-10-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robbie Williams performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sergio Albert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><b>CMAT turned the festival\u2019s 1.30am slot into a cathartic, raucous singalong\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u201cUsually it\u2019s just DJs at this time, but not tonight baby!\u201d announced Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, midway through her 1.30am set on the Repsol stage. \u201cYou wanted to see some Irish country rock\u2019n\u2019roll. Let\u2019s scare all of the people who went to see Soulwax instead of CMAT!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Belgian electronic duo might be a more traditional after hours festival option, but there was not a person present at CMAT\u2019s glorious Friday finale that would argue against her being the only sensible choice. If you like your pop stars bursting with sincerity, hilarity, the sort of insatiable energy that could win over quite literally any crowd and an increasing canon of undeniable anthems to boot, then no-one\u2019s doing it quite like the self-titled Dunboyne Diana right now.<\/p>\n<p>Kicking off with the swirling climax of \u2018The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station\u2019 before dropping into early single \u2018I Don\u2019t Really Care For You\u2019, Thompson \u2013 three albums in, with a level of international stardom that\u2019s increasing by the hour \u2013 has proper hits these days. Where, just last summer, a game-changing Glastonbury performance was the moment to push an underground star into the mainstream light, last night the front section of the crowd at Bilbao BBK Live 2026 knew every word.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956394\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956394\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL2026_CMAT_@ainhoalaucirica_34-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956394\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CMAT performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Ainhoa Laucirica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The names that naturally emerged throughout the set acted as a neat reminder of how beloved CMAT has become. \u201cThank you Olivia Rodrigo, she\u2019s my best friend!\u201d the singer joked ahead of \u2018When A Good Man Cries\u2019 \u2013 a reference to the American superstar\u2019s recent BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge cover. Later, Thompson declared that \u201cThe A in CMAT stands for \u2018And through it all\u2026\u2019\u201d leading the crowd in a singalong of \u2018Angels\u2019 before Robbie Williams himself ran onto the stage to say hello.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout, the singer was a whirlwind of energy and talent, popping out campy choreography sections with her band on \u2018Have Fun!\u2019, pouring her heart out on \u2018Euro-Country\u2019, and descending into the crowd to storm a line through the middle during a final, incendiary \u2018Stay For Something\u2019. Now that\u2019s how you end a festival night.<\/p>\n<h3><b>The best of the rest\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Fresh from announcing their first album in 11 years, \u2018I Must Be Dreaming\u2019, earlier this week, Alabama Shakes\u2019 confident late afternoon set on the main stage was a reminder of why the Alabama trio are still a force to be reckoned with. Old hits \u2018Hold On\u2019 and \u2018I Ain\u2019t The Same\u2019 showcased the raw power of Brittany Howard\u2019s vocal that first shot them to fame at the start of the 2010s, while recent single \u2018American Dream\u2019 \u2013 a protest song denouncing the current Trump administration \u2013 provided a fiery window into their forthcoming third LP.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956422\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956422\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Alabama-Shakes-@sergioalbert_-15-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956422\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alabama Shakes perform at Bilbao BBK Live 2026 Photo credit: Sergio Albert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Belle and Sebastian might not be an obvious warm-up act for Robbie, but over on the San Miguel stage the \u201890s stalwarts\u2019 endlessly charming indie hits were a winning choice with hooks to spare. Performing as Spain\u2019s World Cup quarter final match against Belgium played out, even a sizable amount of audience members keeping one eye on their phones didn\u2019t dampen the good vibes emanating from a porkpie-hatted Stuart Murdoch and co as they served up an early \u2018Funny Little Frog\u2019. \u2018I Want The World To Stop\u2019 was a midset highlight, while Murdoch \u2013 backed by glimmering lights spelling out the band\u2019s name \u2013 descended into the crowd to serenade them in the show\u2019s final third.<\/p>\n<p>Still less than a year since their fully-fledged beginnings as a live band, TOMORA \u2013 the collaborative project between Norwegian singer Aurora and Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers \u2013 looked like they were still firmly in the excitable honeymoon phase of their existence during their midnight set. Performing dressed all in white, with a second vocalist and musician dressed identically, Aurora\u2019s sci-fi presence was the perfect foil for Rowlands\u2019 mindwarping electronic creations. With screens showing acid-soaked pink cats, tulip-headed alien creatures and contorting cells under a microscope, the effect was of a rave on another planet. Aurora and her doppelganger spent half the set bouncing up and down like pogoing robots; the likes of \u2018I Drink The Light\u2019 and \u2018Ring The Alarm\u2019 had the crowd letting loose just as hard. \u201cWe all know the world is a bit messed up now because of all the crazy people leading us into this,\u201d Aurora declared at the end. \u201cBut when we look at all of your beautiful faces, we see there is so much good. Thank you for being gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956423\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956423\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956423\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26-tomora-@sara.irazabal-15-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956423\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TOMORA perform at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sara Iraz\u00e1bal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bilbao BBK Live 2026 continues tonight (July 11), rounding out its final day with performances from Lily Allen, IDLES, Horsegiirl and Interpol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Alabama Shakes<\/li>\n<li>Belle &amp; Sebastian<\/li>\n<li>CMAT<\/li>\n<li>Robbie Williams<\/li>\n<li>TOMORA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Suki Waterhouse \u2013 \u2018Loveland\u2019 review: plenty to fall head over heels with<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Evil Dead Burn\u2019 review: hotly anticipated horror sequel never quite catches fire<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Little Grandad: the alt-country band speeding towards stardom<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Step right up! 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Looking for erotically-charged, meticulously-crafted club pop or timeless, joyous hits given a clever on-stage makeover? Look no further than FKA Twigs and David Byrne on day one. Want a slice of ultimate catharsis via the best break-up album of the decade, or to throw yourself around in the pit and thrash it out? Lily Allen and IDLES have got your back on Saturday\u2019s closing night.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Basque Country weekender\u2019s turbo-charged Friday bill? Well, that was a time for all-out entertainment via quite probably the two most charismatic performers that the UK and Ireland have produced in the last 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>If CMAT is, in star power wattage terms, the natural successor to the night\u2019s headliner Robbie Williams, then there were plenty of other thrills to be found on the scenic slope of Mount Cometas too. From a late night rave with Aurora and The Chemical Brothers\u2019 Tom Rowlands \u2013 aka TOMORA \u2013 to some balmy afternoon blues courtesy of Alabama Shakes, here\u2019s all the action from day two of Bilbao BBK Live\u2019s epic 20th anniversary year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3956417\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_ALCALANORTE_@patrymartinphoto_5-3.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Robbie Williams pulls out all the stops\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Robert Peter Williams \u2013 the most successful British artist in UK chart history, with a recent, record-breaking 16th Number One album to his name \u2013 is obsessed with the idea of entertainment. \u201cIs this entertainment?\u201d he questioned, getting the absolutely rammed main stage crowd to sing back a series of call and response riffs. Maybe this might be, he implicitly suggested, as the cocksure swagger of \u2018Rock DJ\u2019 pointed towards a fake newspaper headline on stage asking \u201cIs Robbie the greatest entertainer?\u201d A dancer ripped it off to reveal a second headline underneath: \u201cOf course he fucking is!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>These were two moments in the wild ride of Robbie\u2019s Friday night headline set \u2013 easily the biggest audience draw of the weekend so far \u2013 that underlined the Stoke star\u2019s raison d\u2019etre. But really, the whole of Williams\u2019 gloriously uninhibited 90-minute extravaganza was a love letter to pure showmanship. In his own words, which he delivered \u2013 naturally \u2013 whilst sitting at a piano, wearing a giant pink feather boa and eating a banana before playing a cover of \u2018New York, New York\u2019: \u201cIf you\u2019re still trying to be cool, stop it, it\u2019s exhausting. You look like a fucking wanker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Robbie went all-in on getting the crowd as revved up as possible via the sort of relentless bag of tricks that exemplified the singer\u2019s unique place in UK pop \u2013 part stadium-sized juggernaut, part cheeky Butlins entertainer. Has anyone ever played more covers during a festival headline than this? Quite possibly not. As well as \u2018New York, New York\u2019 and a bit of his old muckers Take That\u2019s \u2018Relight My Fire\u2019, Bilbao got a medley of hits from Depeche Mode to The Beatles to introduce his band, plus a rendition of \u2018My Way\u2019, dedicated to his dad.<\/p>\n<p>The family presence was out in full force, with a photo album slideshow during \u2018Love My Life\u2019 and an appearance from eldest daughter Teddy during \u2018Angels\u2019. Older, reformed Robbie the family man has a tendency to veer into Live Laugh Love territory, but the presence of Robbie the superstar was still there for all to see. When the hits came, they were inarguable: \u2018She\u2019s The One\u2019, \u2018Feel\u2019, \u2018Millenium\u2019. \u201cYou\u2019d better be fucking good because I am phenomenal,\u201d Robbie declared at the start of the set \u2013 he wasn\u2019t wrong.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956420\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956420\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956420\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Robbie-Williams-@sergioalbert_-10-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robbie Williams performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sergio Albert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><b>CMAT turned the festival\u2019s 1.30am slot into a cathartic, raucous singalong\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u201cUsually it\u2019s just DJs at this time, but not tonight baby!\u201d announced Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, midway through her 1.30am set on the Repsol stage. \u201cYou wanted to see some Irish country rock\u2019n\u2019roll. Let\u2019s scare all of the people who went to see Soulwax instead of CMAT!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Belgian electronic duo might be a more traditional after hours festival option, but there was not a person present at CMAT\u2019s glorious Friday finale that would argue against her being the only sensible choice. If you like your pop stars bursting with sincerity, hilarity, the sort of insatiable energy that could win over quite literally any crowd and an increasing canon of undeniable anthems to boot, then no-one\u2019s doing it quite like the self-titled Dunboyne Diana right now.<\/p>\n<p>Kicking off with the swirling climax of \u2018The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station\u2019 before dropping into early single \u2018I Don\u2019t Really Care For You\u2019, Thompson \u2013 three albums in, with a level of international stardom that\u2019s increasing by the hour \u2013 has proper hits these days. Where, just last summer, a game-changing Glastonbury performance was the moment to push an underground star into the mainstream light, last night the front section of the crowd at Bilbao BBK Live 2026 knew every word.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956394\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956394\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL2026_CMAT_@ainhoalaucirica_34-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956394\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CMAT performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Ainhoa Laucirica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The names that naturally emerged throughout the set acted as a neat reminder of how beloved CMAT has become. \u201cThank you Olivia Rodrigo, she\u2019s my best friend!\u201d the singer joked ahead of \u2018When A Good Man Cries\u2019 \u2013 a reference to the American superstar\u2019s recent BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge cover. Later, Thompson declared that \u201cThe A in CMAT stands for \u2018And through it all\u2026\u2019\u201d leading the crowd in a singalong of \u2018Angels\u2019 before Robbie Williams himself ran onto the stage to say hello.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout, the singer was a whirlwind of energy and talent, popping out campy choreography sections with her band on \u2018Have Fun!\u2019, pouring her heart out on \u2018Euro-Country\u2019, and descending into the crowd to storm a line through the middle during a final, incendiary \u2018Stay For Something\u2019. Now that\u2019s how you end a festival night.<\/p>\n<h3><b>The best of the rest\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Fresh from announcing their first album in 11 years, \u2018I Must Be Dreaming\u2019, earlier this week, Alabama Shakes\u2019 confident late afternoon set on the main stage was a reminder of why the Alabama trio are still a force to be reckoned with. Old hits \u2018Hold On\u2019 and \u2018I Ain\u2019t The Same\u2019 showcased the raw power of Brittany Howard\u2019s vocal that first shot them to fame at the start of the 2010s, while recent single \u2018American Dream\u2019 \u2013 a protest song denouncing the current Trump administration \u2013 provided a fiery window into their forthcoming third LP.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956422\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956422\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Alabama-Shakes-@sergioalbert_-15-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956422\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alabama Shakes perform at Bilbao BBK Live 2026 Photo credit: Sergio Albert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Belle and Sebastian might not be an obvious warm-up act for Robbie, but over on the San Miguel stage the \u201890s stalwarts\u2019 endlessly charming indie hits were a winning choice with hooks to spare. Performing as Spain\u2019s World Cup quarter final match against Belgium played out, even a sizable amount of audience members keeping one eye on their phones didn\u2019t dampen the good vibes emanating from a porkpie-hatted Stuart Murdoch and co as they served up an early \u2018Funny Little Frog\u2019. \u2018I Want The World To Stop\u2019 was a midset highlight, while Murdoch \u2013 backed by glimmering lights spelling out the band\u2019s name \u2013 descended into the crowd to serenade them in the show\u2019s final third.<\/p>\n<p>Still less than a year since their fully-fledged beginnings as a live band, TOMORA \u2013 the collaborative project between Norwegian singer Aurora and Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers \u2013 looked like they were still firmly in the excitable honeymoon phase of their existence during their midnight set. Performing dressed all in white, with a second vocalist and musician dressed identically, Aurora\u2019s sci-fi presence was the perfect foil for Rowlands\u2019 mindwarping electronic creations. With screens showing acid-soaked pink cats, tulip-headed alien creatures and contorting cells under a microscope, the effect was of a rave on another planet. Aurora and her doppelganger spent half the set bouncing up and down like pogoing robots; the likes of \u2018I Drink The Light\u2019 and \u2018Ring The Alarm\u2019 had the crowd letting loose just as hard. \u201cWe all know the world is a bit messed up now because of all the crazy people leading us into this,\u201d Aurora declared at the end. \u201cBut when we look at all of your beautiful faces, we see there is so much good. Thank you for being gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956423\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956423\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956423\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26-tomora-@sara.irazabal-15-2.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956423\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TOMORA perform at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sara Iraz\u00e1bal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bilbao BBK Live 2026 continues tonight (July 11), rounding out its final day with performances from Lily Allen, IDLES, Horsegiirl and Interpol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/robbie-williams-and-cmat-deliver-ultimate-showmanship-on-day-two-of-bilbao-bbk-live-2026-3956416&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BBL26_Robbie-Williams-@sergioalbert_-18-2.jpg&#8221;] Features Robbie Williams and CMAT deliver ultimate showmanship on day two of Bilbao BBK Live 2026 The Basque weekender continued with sets from Tomora, Belle and Sebastian and more. By NME 11th July 2026 Robbie Williams performs at Bilbao BBK Live 2026. Photo credit: Sergio Albert In partnership with Bilbao BBK Live. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2038907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2038907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038907\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2038907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2038907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2038907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}