The Lottery Winners steal the opening slot at Adelaide Oval's BRITPOP night

Review by Markus Hamence – The Lottery Winners opening at Robbie Williams: BRITPOP. Performance date: Saturday 07 November 2026. Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, South Australia.

Opening for Robbie Williams takes a certain amount of cheek. Fortunately, The Lottery Winners packed plenty, bringing their infectious British indie-pop to Adelaide Oval on Saturday 7 November for the opening night of Robbie’s Australian BRITPOP tour. With G Flip also on the bill, this was a night worth arriving early for.

Frontman Thom Rylance understood the assignment: give a crowd waiting for one of pop’s biggest personalities a personality worth paying attention to. Getting Robbie fans singing ‘Angels’ during the opening set was a particularly cheeky move. Familiar territory, instant connection, and a clever way of getting people involved before introducing them to more of the band’s own world. There’s something wonderfully disarming about a frontman prepared to borrow the evening’s biggest singalong to get the party started.

“The Lottery Winners brought big hooks, British cheek and a whole lot of heart to Adelaide Oval. Arriving early paid off.” - Markus Hamence

Their own material brought the energy too, with ‘Steady We Go’ making an impression as the audience gathered. That combination of accessible melody and spirited delivery is a handy weapon in a stadium support slot, where every song has to compete with arrivals, conversations and the anticipation of the headline act. The Lottery Winners gave Adelaide a reason to pay attention.

What makes this band such a fitting addition to the BRITPOP bill is the heart beneath the hooks. Their songwriting has an openness that sits comfortably alongside Robbie’s own mix of swagger and sentiment. There’s room for a grin, room for a feeling, and plenty of room for a chorus. With material from KOKO in their touring repertoire, this appearance also put a contemporary British band in front of an audience with a longstanding love of British pop. A rather smart match.

“Thom Rylance knows how to charm a Robbie crowd, and The Lottery Winners have the songs to turn that introduction into something worth coming back for.” - Markus Hamence

Their Adelaide appearance offered a delicious little introduction ahead of their Australian headline tour in April 2027. That’s the next opportunity to give these songs, and this personality, an evening of their own.

The Lottery Winners. Remember the name. Preferably with your next gig ticket attached.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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