Robbie Williams sends fans wild as he performs free concert in Melbourne's Federation Square

Robbie Williams took Melbourne by storm on Thursday afternoon when he performed a free concert at Federation Square at 5pm.

The English popstar, 50, packed the venue to bursting with fans who camped out for hours to catch a glimpse of the singer-songwriter at the surprise performance. 

With standing spots going to those who were first in, heartbroken fans who missed out were forced to watch Robbie perform on screen at Birrarung Marr Park.

The iHeartLIVE concert was completely free for onlookers as Robbie broke out his biggest hits to promote his new bio-pic Better Man. 

Fed Square quickly reached max capacity as fans rushed to secure a spot at the concert, with hundreds left lounging on blankets on a hilltop over the river.  

The award-winning hitmaker opened the show with his 1997 smash hit Let Me Entertain You as he stepped out in a crisp white blazer and bedazzled sunglasses.

Fans in attendance quickly took to X—formerly Twitter—to share their experience, with one person writing: 'Just seen Robbie Williams perform live. Impressive artist.'

'Free Robbie William's concert at Fed Square? Yeah, f***it,' another added.

A third said: 'God bless crazy people who go live on social media. Robbie Williams is f***ing brilliant.' 

Other Melburnians were left stunned when they stumbled across a sudden pop concert during their day out in the city.

'Was just walking through my city and saw Robbie Williams performing tf,' one person said.

'Commute home just got delayed because Robbie Williams is playing a random free gig in the middle of the city. So, ended up hearing Angels live whilst waiting for my tram,' another wrote. 

Footage and images from the concert saw screaming fans packed shoulder to shoulder as they watched Robbie own the stage.

And the singer proved he's as charming as he looks, as he took the time to share quips with audience members between songs.   

'What's making me laugh about this whole thing is the police horses here because of the menopausal audience that I attract,' he joked at one stage.

'They're violent f***ers.'

One front row fan named Emily broke down in tears when she was addressed by Robbie, revealing it was her first time seeing him live because she's never been able to afford tickets to his past concerts.

Moved by her tears, Robbie dedicated his song She's The One to his fan, supplementing the lyric 'somebody' with 'Emily'.  

'This is what you call pandering to the locals,' he cheekily quipped.

The all-ages concert kicked off at 5pm on Thursday, with Robbie moving to the Astor Theatre in Windsor when it wraps to participate in a Q&A before a screening of his bio-pic.

During his stay in Melbourne, Robbie will also receive a key to the city by Lord Mayor Nick Reece in recognition for the contribution his film made to the city.

The clip Better Man was filmed in Melbourne, creating 2,929 jobs and raking in $142 million for Victoria.  

It follows Robbie's rise to fame in Europe and the UK, with Jonno Davies playing the hitmaker in the form of a CGI monkey.

According to a spokesperson for the city of Melbourne, only 40 keys to the city have been handed out in history, with Robbie joining the likes of Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna, and Olivia Newton John in receiving the honour.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said: 'There's no better man to have a key to our city than legendary British pop singer Robbie Williams.

'From one Carlton tragic to another, I can't wait to share the stage with Robbie and create yet another iconic Melbourne moment for all of us to cherish.'