ed sheeran divide tour opener

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Behind the scenes of Ed Sheeran’s monumental +–=÷x Tour

The loop pedal aficionado and his loyal touring family once again defy convention by pulling together a stadium show with each department pushing the boundaries of their respective fields. TPi catches up with the team at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium to learn more about this audacious in-the-round production.

Back in 2018 when TPi last covered Ed Sheeran on his record breaking ÷ [Divide] Tour , it seemed to be somewhat of a new chapter for the singer-songwriter. Having ascended the ranks of academies and arenas throughout the 2010s armed with just a guitar and a loop pedal, Sheeran was suddenly breaking attendance records at stadium level with an iconic production that never shied away from the fact that this was one man on stage – no backing band or dancers but one person rewriting the record books. After such a career high, what is the next step? Well, there’s always ‘in-the-round’.  

As the thousands who have already seen the artist’s latest production will attest, this is not a standard in-the-round production. From a fully automated central stage, Sheeran remained the focal point throughout the evening while performing under a giant LED halo, which was held up by six masts, immersing the standing ticket holders in the action of the show.  

To learn about the origins of this design, TPi grabbed some time with Show Designer, Mark Cunniffe and Production Director, Chris Marsh. “As soon as we’d finished the Divide Tour , Ed was asking what we should do next,” reminisced Marsh, several weeks into the +–=÷x [Mathematics] Tou r.  

“He wanted a show that would be iconic and something that people would remember. Armed with that knowledge, Mark went away and started putting together some designs.”  

With the in-the-round concept already on everyone’s minds, Cunniffe was keen to remedy one of the biggest issues he has with this type of show. “I didn’t want to create a show that is just held up by four posts,” he began. “I hate the idea of having many in the audience’s view blocked by a physical object – especially as Ed is only one guy on stage.”  

After toying with a few other ideas, most of which were left on the cutting room floor, Cunniffe busied himself with creating a brand-new design – the likes of which had never been toured before.  

“I got in touch with Jeremy [Lloyd] from Wonder Works to see if touring a cable net system was possible. Before I showed a design to Ed and management, I wanted to ensure it was even possible.”  

After several wind tunnel tests, Cunniffe got the nod from an engineering standpoint that his show was indeed feasible.  

Jeremy Lloyd of Wonder Works reflected on his first impressions when Cunniffe proposed the idea. “To my knowledge, a cable net system like this has never been toured before,” he stated. “My first impressions were that this is ambitious but totally achievable. I like a challenge and it was clear that this would be challenging and fun in equal measure.” The design process started by assessing the overall geometry of the design and ensuring that it would fit in a multitude of venues. “The build process starts with levelling the mast bases; then the masts are installed at their inclined angle of 15° and are supported with temporary buttresses,” explained Lloyd.  

He continued: “Once all masts have been erected, the structural cables are installed, then the buttresses are removed. At this point, some advance equipment – chain hoists, power and data cabling, and some lighting fixtures – is installed on the cable net and masts. When universal production arrives, they initially install the halo mother truss. This increases tension in the structural cables, which in turn stiffens the entire structure.”  

From that point, everything is coordinated in teams of two from each department working on opposite masts to evenly load the structure. The final element to be rigged on the cable net is the main audio arrays, which are suspended from the cables adjacent to the halo. During installation of the rigged elements, the stage is built to one side of the masts then, when all rigged elements have been taken to trim, the stage is rolled into place.

“Touring this system requires a different mindset,” stated Lloyd. “There’s a very specific procedure which has to be followed during all phases of the build, from assembling the masts, to installing and tensioning the cables, to finally loading in the production equipment. Without following the correct procedure, the structure would not be stable.” One person that had to adopt this change in mindset was Stage Manager, Matt Caley.  

“With this being my first in-the-round tour and an entirely new concept, it was exciting and terrifying all at the same time,” he commented. “One of my main jobs is to ensure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, in the right order and troubleshooting issues as they arise.”  

With such a bespoke set, Marsh knew from the outset that a standard staging company would not be able to create this show from stock inventory. “In addition to Wonder Works, we brought in Stage One, which created the main structure of the show. Although we hadn’t worked with them before, they are ‘the’ staging company when it comes to ceremonies and have years of experience working with cable net systems such as in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.”  

In fact, this tour saw many individuals entering the world of live touring. “We’ve had to bring in experts from other walks of life due to the nature of this show. This is not the type of set you hammer together and requires a great deal of precision. Along with regular rigging and steel guys, we have people who’ve worked on oil rigs and the construction of suspension bridges,” enthused Marsh.  

CHANGING OF THE TIDE  

With Sheeran’s tour becoming increasingly complicated, Marsh had to adapt his role. Having previously juggled the roles of Production Manager and FOH Engineer (and monitor engineer, but we’ll come onto that later), for the Mathematics Tour , Helen Himmons assumed the role of Production Manager. A key member of Sheeran’s previous run, she gave her thoughts on her new role.

“We had to separate the roles to give Chris more time to focus on the new audio challenges of an in-the-round show and having a band, as well as overseeing the design and technical aspects of the show. That enabled me to focus on the day-to-day management and logistics of the production and our site teams and crew, as well as dealing with promoters, and vendors.”

During the Divide Tour , the production had one advance manager that went to venues for the initial load-in, but due to the scale of this tour, the team opted to have a dedicated site manager and site coordinator for each of the two advance teams.

“They are there from the first day steel is loaded in right the way through until it loads out after the show,” commented Himmons. “It works so much better to have a team there from start to finish, providing continuity.”

Several key suppliers from previous runs returned to put their stamp on the tour, including: Lights Control Rigging, Colonel Tom Touring, Major Tom, KB Events, Pieter Smit and TAIT. There were also numerous new additions to the party, such as WICREATIONS, Pains Fireworks and The Pantry Maid.  

Among the returning suppliers were several familiar faces amid the party of 65 crew in the universal team, along with a further 27 in each of the two advance teams. Notwithstanding 84 additional truck drivers on the universal production and advance teams. “This show is nothing without the people,” asserted Himmons. “At the end of the Divide Tour , we had a crew that really cared about each other, the show and the artist; with friendships that extended way beyond work. That ethos has carried through to this tour and been bolstered by the new members of the team. We could achieve anything with this crew – not because of the quantity, but because of the type of people we have. You can have the best artist, the best show design, PA, lighting and video, but none of it works without the right crew.”  

SETTING THE STAGE

Every part of the production showed signs of innovation before a single chord was struck. “I’ve been using Cinema 4D when drawing packages for clients for a long time, but to take this to the next level, I made use of Real Time Rendering and Unreal Engine to put myself and clients into virtual reality to experience what the show will be,” explained Cunniffe.  

As well as giving clients a better idea of how the result will look, it was also a design aid. “My biggest concern with taking Ed in-the-round was for those at the barrier,” he explained, noting that the stage had a minimum of 7ft to not obscure the view for those at the front, while still giving enough head room for the technicians working under the stage.

During this VR design stage, Cunniffe tried to solve the problem of making Sheeran visible to the full 360° audience at all times. The solution came from TAIT’s fully automated stage, which included a full revolve on the stage edge, as well as automated stairs, which rose from the main performance area whenever Sheeran stood in the central microphone position. “The central stage lift is more a functional stage element than a gag,” he explained. “It means that everyone can see Ed.”  

The speed and fluidity of these automated elements was remarkable. Responsible for all these moves was Kirsten Eddy, who operated the TAIT stage from the circular underworld. “When I first saw a pdf of the stage alone I was a bit disappointed with the amount of the automation I was controlling. With only 14 lifts and one giant revolve, I thought it was going to be a rather slow show to operate. That was until we got to rehearsals. The production much bigger than I thought it would be and I learned how functional and utilised everything I control is – then I got much more excited.”  

The revolve and scissor lifts moved constantly during the show, controlled by TAIT Navigator to create a raised staircase in the middle of the stage. “There is a camera feed of the stage from the halo so I can see Ed at all times,” stated Eddy. “I can see when he is safely on the centre of the lifts and take my cue off that visual. I also have Estops that control either a specific lift (local) or the entire system (global) to ensure the safety of Ed and everyone else. I can hit the Estop at any time and everything would come to an immediate halt.”

With this stage being open to the elements, weather was one of Eddy’s biggest concerns. “TAIT was great in making this as weather-proof as possible with rain covers that were custom made for every drive, motor, and rack. There was a lot of testing needed to ensure it works properly in the rain.” On the topic of automation, TPi turned its attention skyward to the halo of LED video screen that hung above the stage. This fully automated set piece, along with the chandler lighting elements within, was provided by WICREATIONS and control on site by Kim Bennett-Abbiss and Andy ‘Paris’ Hilton.  

“Originally, we thought we’d have one company look after all the staging and automation elements, but when we began drawing the show and sending it out to tender, we had to rethink our position. Coming out of the pandemic, we didn’t want to put too much strain on one company, so it seemed wise to divide the jobs,” explained Marsh.  

“We got the green light back in September 2021,” recalled WICREATIONS Key Account Manager, Koen Peeters.  

Collectively, WICREATIONS provided automation to allow the halo to move up and down as well as several scenic objects within the structure. The company also supplied the automated rigging for the masts as well as a centralised control system with link ability to third-party automation systems.

On site, Bennett-Abbiss walked through the various automation elements above the stage. “We have 18 chandelier units within the halo structure – each of which are powered off Kinesys Evo Drivers,” she explained.  

“We then also have 12 GIS WI hoists that are split into six groups of two, which lift the 45-tonne halo structure. We then have a further two on each of the six masts, which are responsible for rigging and derigging the show.” With this side of the automation team being so critical in the build section to the show, both Paris and Bennett-Abbiss often arrived on site early on the build day to hang the halo before equipment was added. “Getting it hung early means it reacts better later in the day,” stated Paris. “The halo is 24 tonnes by itself!”  

Reflecting on the show, Peeters gave his thoughts. “The most challenging aspect of this project was the fact that everything we delivered was newly developed and custom built – from the halo and mast hoop structures to the WIMOTION hoists, drives and cabling,” he stated. “Delivery times for many components have multiplied compared to back in 2019, which forced us to constantly anticipate.”  

Despite the challenges, Peeters was incredibly pleased with the show. “The overall clean look, with this giant halo floating in space, the plectrum screens and the mast video hoops suspended from these tapered beautiful ruby red masts makes for a well thought and extremely clean touring set.” The plectrums and chandeliers were designed and manufactured by Twenty Three from Belgium.

A VISUAL FEAST  

With the elaborate 360° stage set, the lighting and video teams had to create a cohesive show to live up to the epic proportions of the design. However, before a single button was pushed on a lighting desk, Mark Cunniffe ensured that he had the right tools for the job.  

“I got in touch with the main lighting manufacturers way back in 2019 with a very specific wishlist,” he revealed. “I needed all my fixtures to be IP rated as I can’t stand waterproof jackets and domes, visually. I also wanted a 51,000-lumen LED profile with full colour mixing as well as CTB and CTO wicks,” he noted, adding the caveat that he needed 180 of them. Ayrton fixtures featured heavily on the rig, with 138 Domino LT, 48 Perseo Profile and 22 of the new Cobra laser-sourced fixtures utilised.

“Ayrton showed me the prototype for what would become the Cobra – the company’s first laser source lighting fixture,” Cunniffe recalled. “I could not believe the power of them.”  

Enticed, Cunniffe incorporated them into the design with the Cobras on the circumference of the stage. “They did a great job to deliver them on time – especially with all the supply chain issues,” he praised. “I see them more as a creative tool rather than a functional light, but they provided a great finish to the show.”  

While talking about new lighting fixtures, the Show Designer also commented on the GLP XDCs that were placed in a trough around the stage. “I’d been a big fan of the Q7 but I wanted something a bit punchier and with a stronger beam that was also IP rated and LED,” he explained. “The XDC ticked all the boxes.”

The show was operated by long-serving Lighting Operator, Matt Jones via an MA Lighting grandMA3 using MA3 software.  

“It’s been a bit of a jump,” he admitted, while discussing moving to a full MA3 setup. “That said, the fundamentals of MA are the same and the software offers some very interesting effect options. The first show was a bit nerve-wracking, but now we’ve been on the road for a while, it’s becoming second nature.”  

Due to the nature of Sheeran’s performances, timecode was always going to be out of the question, with the entire supporting crew following the singer’s lead when it came to the timing of songs. Not only that, but he also tends to go off script with the setlist depending on how the crowd is reacting.   “We sometimes get a heads-up from the stage manager, but there have been occasions over the years where I think he’ll be playing one song and then he’ll go into another,” laughed Jones.  

For this reason, Jones has an arsenal of macros to jump to until they know what song is being played. To ensure that the visual show is as tight as possible, the visual team also takes a midi feed from Sheeran’s loop pedal and with that information can have the stop of the foot pedal trigger certain lighting cues.  

With Sheeran making use of the full stage throughout, it was key to have an effective follow spot solution. Sitting alongside the video team were two Follow-Me operators, keeping up with the singer’s movements.  

“The Follow-Me system is controlling the Domino LTs with the main goal to keep him visible at all times both for the crowd and the camera feed,” stated Jones. “The tracking information is also sent to the trough lighting to give him more light depending on his position.”  

Working tirelessly behind the scenes was Lights Control Rigging – TPi Awards 2022 Favourite Lighting Company – which provided kit and crew. “[LCR Director] Mike Oates was an enormous help not just with providing lighting but also in other elements, such as helping get the steel system together. He was at every video meeting in the build up and was the first to put his hand up and ask the integral ‘what if’ questions,” enthused Marsh.”  

Colonel Tom Touring provided the video elements of the production. TPi got the highlight reel from Video Director, Phil Mead. Due to space constraints, the video team, along with the Follow-Me operators, connected themselves by fibre from the stadium to a converted 45ft trailer that transforms into an OB setup, which is known to the crew as ‘The Loft’. “As a Director, you must be able to communicate with the video team at all times, so being away from the stadium full of fans helps you to concentrate,” began Mead. “There’s a level of anxiety that goes away when you’re in The Loft compared to out at FOH.”

Mead streamed IMAG content into two main video surfaces – the halo structure, which was made of ROE Visual Vanish V8T, as well as two giant double-sided plectrum-shaped screens attached to the six supporting masts, which had two sides of ROE Visual CB5. The floor of the stage incorporated BM5 screens to provide more content for those at a higher vantage point, while the ROE CB5H LED hoops fixed to the masts displayed content throughout.  

In The Loft, Mead controlled all the camera cuts from a Ross Carbonite Black+ – the same desk he used on the Divide Tour with the only update being the addition of a Ross Ultrix router. Also in The Loft were the robo camera control positions, four disguise gx 2c media servers (three active and one understudy) and Brompton Technology SX40 LED processors to power the video surfaces out in the stadium, all of which are connected by fibres.  

“The main fibre distribution system was designed by Adam Wells,” stated Mead. “Four MTP 24 fibres feed the show from The Loft to masts one and six. Each 24 core fibre is then distributed further through the system to all the other mast locations providing various video services on site.”  

A custom fibre distribution box was located at each mast rack. These provide termination to all local services for equipment required at that mast. Connections then continue through the custom fibre system until they reach their required destination.   “Where possible, we have reduced the unnecessary waste of dark fibre by utilising MTP12, OpticalCON Quad, and Duo in different parts of the system,” added Mead.

The only video presence in the stadium was Ben Lapworth, who oversaw the playback of the video cues as well as the Notch treatments to the live video feeds, all from an MA Lighting grandMA3 Lite.  

“It’s easier to sequence looks on the MA and launch them rather than directly via the disguise system,” he said. “With no timecode, Ed diverts from the setlist, so you need to be able to make changes quickly.”  

As well as ensuring the right content is playing for each song, Lapworth was also in control of some of the parameters on the Notch effects that were used heavily on the show – many of which were used on the live footage of Sheeran. Show Designer, Mark Cunniffe also oversaw the content creation for the production through his company, Twotrucks Productions, and lead Graphic Artist, Matt Cromwell. “The project was far too big for one studio to handle, so I turned to my old friends Vincent Steenhoek and Urs Nyffenegger of Evoke Studios,” Cunniffe noted.  

Steenhoek and Nyffenegger were given the responsibility of creating looks for a third of the set list and worked closely with Cunniffe during the creative process. “It’s always exciting to be working on a show of this scale and as Evoke was only founded in 2019, this tour was a great platform for us,” said Steenhoek.

According to the two creators, the direction from Cunniffe was to create a harmonised look between the IMAG treatments and the content shown on the halo.

“Notch was used heavily for many of the IMAG treatments, but we used the platform to produce and prerender much of the content and other 3D looks,” stated Nyffenegger. The 3D looks, such as in the song Bloodstream where Evoke created a 3D render of Sheeran’s head, which then began to bleed tears, was a highlight for both the creatives. “I don’t think there are many shows that have utilised this level of 3D graphics on such a large scale,” he stated proudly.  

Back in The Loft, Mead was keen to highlight another notable part of the show in that there was not a single camera operator in the pit or at FOH, with every IMAG shot being captured on robotic cameras – specifically the Panasonic UE150. “I think we should be pushing technology as far as possible, which is why I think this move to a full remote camera solution is a positive decision,” stated Mead.  

“As every camera out there is the UE150 and has the same chip, it makes grading much easier. The UE150 also has the benefit of having a full frame 4K output and also a cropped HD output. With the two HD-SDI feeds from one camera, I can have a medium shot of Ed and also a cropped close up.”  

In total, six operators were looking after the 12 cameras with the ability of switching between a mast and on-stage camera depending on Sheeran’s movement.  

Mead admitted that the operators had their work cut out ‘keeping up with the speed of Sheeran’s movement on stage’. Not only that, but the shape of the plectrums meant shots were often a challenge to frame.  

“I’ve only ever directed for Ed and we’ve had multiple looks over the years – both in IMAG size and orientation, to fit Ed into some small moving PIPs,” he remarked.  

I SEE FIRE  

A new addition to Sheeran’s show this time round was pyro, with Pains Fireworks handling the various visual ‘gags’. “My relationship with Pains Fireworks goes back to when I was 15,” reminisced Marsh, explaining how he used to create audio tracks for large-scale fireworks displays. “I brought them in because I trust them, which is key when working on a production this complicated.”  

Although more known in the sporting sector, Pains has been making inroads into the touring sector – notably providing special effects for Rod Stewart’s latest live campaign. Speaking about what the company was deploying for this run at FOH was Dave Fancett, Head Technician for Pains Fireworks.  

“This tour is much bigger than others we’ve worked on,” he chuckled, as he pointed to the large set on the stadium floor. A team of four, including Fancett manned all the pyro, which included numerous effects, which were triggered on the floor of the stage as well as on top of the halo.  

“On stage we have 11 flames that are all fired via a Galactus Wireless system, so there are no cables connecting me from my position,” stated Fancett. “We also have a Pyro Digital system, which deals with all the effects in the halo.” In total, there were 24 plates in the halo, which produced a range of effects from smokes and mines throughout the set.  

Giving his thought’s on the tour was Pains Fireworks’ Sales Director Tim Griffiths: “It’s been fantastic to see the joy the SFX or pyro has brought to Ed’s performances every night. The incredible set design and circular stage were the perfect fit for the daylight coloured smoke mines and the Galaxis L-Flame system.”

AUDIO IN-THE-ROUND  

Despite overseeing the production of such a large show, Chris Marsh still took on the role of FOH Engineer for this tour – a job that also sees him mix Sheeran’s IEMs, as well as the band who have joined him on this tour. Having mixed with Sheeran since the beginning of his rise to fame, Marsh and the wider audio team have learned together how to take his one-man loop pedal setup and ensure it has the power necessary to fill a stadium.  

During the Divide Tour , TPi learned all about the loop pedal – Sheeran’s custom-made loop pedal created by the singer’s audio and backline team. In essence, this provided Marsh the ability to mix each one of Sheeran’s individual loops and treat them as if he were a full band from FOH.  

With a full in-the-round setup, a few more updates to the singer’s signature loop requirements were required. The first was several different controllers scattered around the stage to give the singer more freedom to make full use of the space. The solution was four fully IP-rated pedal boards that sent information to the main board in the centre of the stage. Any board on stage could start and stop a track and be used to create new loops.  

“We are now on our third iteration of the loop pedal – now called the Sheeran Looper – and have taken all the lessons from the Chewie I and Chewie II,” began Dave White, who was responsible for Sheeran’s loop pedals and back-end software. “The actual operation of the pedal hasn’t changed a huge amount, even though the software has been recoded and engineered from the ground up. We have added patchable samples to Ed’s keyboard so that he can play new material. We can now also use the looper as an amp modeller for some songs that he plays on electric guitar.”

The need for a full IP rated solution for the pedals as well as still being able to function on a revolving stage certainly created a few interesting challenges for White and the team. “The pedal boards have been completely re-engineered and designed to be able to give Ed the physical comfort of the old loopers with the added IP rating we require,” he explained. “The revolve constantly in one direction throughout the show, so cable access was not possible. Identifying this early meant that we could design the pedals around a 24v system and power them via battery pack and give them wireless connectivity. We rely on a Cisco FluidMesh Wi-Fi system to deliver the network backbone to keep latency down to a figure, which means that the pedal commands and feedback are instantaneous with minimal packet drop.”

In the signal chain, everything remained in the digital domain from the Sennheiser Digital 6000 packs all the way to the amplifier modules in the speakers via AES and MILAN.  

White closed by talking about his main responsibilities during a show day. “We are constantly monitoring how the software and hardware reacts to different environments and conditions. Our reliance on battery packs and a Wi-Fi network, there are more variables than ever.” White also called the lift moves of Ed’s guitar changes working closely with long-serving Guitar Technician, Trevor Dawkins.  

It was not just Sheeran’s new pedal setup that was brand new, but all the black boxes hanging in the air. With weight saving the name of the game on the Mathematics Tour , it was the ideal project for Meyer Sound’s latest, super-lightweight PANTHER system.  

“We had originally designed the show using the Meyer Sound LEO system as we used last time,” explained Marsh. “We’ve used it for Ed for years and in my opinion it’s the best PA I’ve ever worked with. That said, it is heavy – not much more than its competitors, but we had to be conscious of weight with this setup.”  

This led to Marsh speaking to John and Helen Meyer Sound about the options for a lighter solution. Fortunately, the PA manufacturer already had a lightweight solution in the pipeline, so Marsh lent a hand collaborating with Meyer Sound in designing the system.  

Nine months after the initial conversation, the production got delivery of the first boxes of PANTHER. The tour rig was made up of 212 PANTHER loudspeakers with 14 hangs in two rings. Six inner arrays each were made up of 10 80° long-throw versions, two 95° M versions and two 110° W versions. The eight outer arrays comprised 12 L, two M and two W versions.  

The three horn dispersion configurations enabled system designers to tailor coverage for uniform levels and frequency response at various distances.  

For the low end, six flown gradient arrays of 10 1100-LFCs were deployed, while a total of 20 LEOPARD loudspeakers were set around the circular stage as front fill, with low end for the floor supplied by six stacks of three 1100-LFC elements in gradient arrays.

The system was so new that the first time Marsh and the rest of the audio team got to hear it was on the first night of the tour in Dublin. “Once it was hung, my System Technician, Charlie [Albin] and I put some pink noise through it and got to grips with the system, but we didn’t get a chance for Ed or the band to get near it,” he chuckled, admitting the nervousness when opening night approached. “I loved it from the start. It has the clarity I was looking for, it stays very flat and doesn’t lose shape or character at low to high levels.”

System Technician, Charlie Albin shared his thoughts on the new system. “We worked closely with Meyer Sound’s Bob McCarthy when it came to the system design and Josh Dorn-Fehrmann with the network configuration for the backbone of the system,” he began. “It delivered on everything Meyer Sound promised – if anything, it exceeded expectations. The fact that the system is just as loud as the previous speaker yet considerably smaller and lighter is truly an incredible feat of engineering.”  

Albin went on to explain how the setup for this tour changed dramatically due to the inclusion of a full band playing with Sheeran for some of the tracks.  

“We had to revisit some elements in the mix to ensure the sound would work with a full band while maintaining the impact when Ed was just using a loop pedal,” he noted.

The PA setup for this campaign, he explained, was a “from the ground up redesign,” he stated. “There were some major changes in how we usually configure the PA due to the band element.”  

Marsh gave his two cents on the changing PA configuration. “We always used to set up our arrays in a very specific way to deal with the acoustic guitar in a way that you would not for a band. I often used to feel sorry for some of our support acts for this reason, but as we now had a band playing with Ed, we have created a system that is more traditional in how you would work on an in-the-round show, working with more elements on the desk.”

Marsh mixed the show from a DiGiCo Quantum 7. The move up from the SD7 on Sheeran’s previous run has seen him take out some of his outboard gear and use the DiGiCo master processors and spice rack that is built into the console.

Marsh also handled all monitor duties for both Sheeran and his band from his FOH position. “We don’t have room on the stage for a dedicated monitor engineer, but as I have always mixed Ed’s monitors and everyone in the band was comfortable, there was no need to add an extra person.”

One of the tricks which the audio team had at its disposal to ease the monitor demands of the band was the KLANG:kontroller. Members of the band had an interface at their platform. “They haven’t tended to touch them, but it’s a comfort to know they are there,” stated Marsh.  

He also gave his thoughts on how Sheeran has dealt with the move over to the KLANG system for his IEMs. “He had previously been using a mixture of IEM and monitors, but with the size of this stage, it would need to be so loud on stage,” he explained.  

“Early in the process, Ed discovered he was going to have to move to an IEM setup. During this move, we learned that he never liked the idea of being enclosed with an IEM-only setup. The beauty of KLANG is that I can ‘move’ elements of the mix that are not as critical and keep the main mix of his guitar and vocal locked in. The system makes everything much bigger.”  

Marsh also had six-audience mics laid out on the set to add to Sheeran’s mix. “I haven’t had to use any of them,” he laughed, as the audience noise was so loud coming though his vocal microphone.

KEEPING EVERYONE GOING  

“The challenges this year have been numerous, starting with securing the amount of trucks and drivers needed,” stated Himmons, highlighting the logistical elements of the tour.  

“We decided to split the trucking across two companies to try and mitigate any risk.” Pieter Smit supplied 52 advance trucks and barricade trucks, and KB Event the 31 production trucks.   “Issues such as Brexit have largely been managed by the two companies which is great. That said, there are other issues including the rising cost of fuel and availability of HVO fuel has also been an issue from both a budget and sustainability perspective,” she explained.  

“It is really nice to work with a production that realised the shortage of trucks for this season in time,” began Steven Kroon from Pieter Smit. “Production confirmed the tour early on securing two groups of 23 trucks on advance systems and six trucks on barricades.” At the request of production, Pieter Smit trucks run on HVO Renewable Diesel. “Our drivers are more than happy on this tour and production has taken excellent care of our team. They are great to work with and really know what they are doing.”

KB Event’s 31 trucks were made up of 26 Megacube Box Artics and five Megacube Curtain Sided Artics all overseen by Lead Driver, Steve Crawley.   “This has been a long time in the planning and as such we took to the road in April with pretty much all boxes ticked,” commented KB’s Stuart McPherson.  

“Although this tour is on a whole different scale to Divide , the schedules are a lot gentler. The biggest challenge was caused by the TCA – the Brexit agreement. KB is one of only five companies that have established bases in the EU as well as in the UK and are therefore able to tour in the UK and in the EU without the extreme shackles placed on other trucking companies.  

“We are extremely proud to be part of the Sheeran tour team again,” he added. After months of preparation, to see the trucks rolling out and seeing the photos of the first load-in in Dublin put a ‘very large lump’ in McPherson’s throat. “It’s an amazing tour to be part of. We are very much looking forward to the move into mainland Europe now,” he concluded.  

SHOW YOUR WORKING

You would be forgiven for thinking that any band or production heading out on a stadium tour in 2022 would wish to ‘play it safe’ after two-and-a-half years when having a large number of people in stadiums was unthinkable.  

What was incredible to hear from the Sheeran camp was that every single department saw a seismic change or innovation to their workflow and challenged the generic touring model. From incredibly intricate engineering of a stage set, to a brand-new, lightweight PA system, all the way to a fully remote camera package, it’s tours like this that make covering live productions so exciting and give an indication of the sheer amount of innovation we are likely to see in the future.

This article originally appeared in issue #270 of TPi, which you can read here .

www.edsheeran.com

www.coloneltomtouring.com

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Ed Sheeran | + – = ÷ x Tour

Ed Sheeran with special guests Russ and Maisie Peters are headed to Levi’s® Stadium on September 16, 2023!

Multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning, global superstar Ed Sheeran has announced details for the North American leg of his “+ – = ÷ x Tour” (pronounced “The Mathematics Tour”), hitting stadiums across the continent for the first time since his history-making “Divide Tour” in 2018, which officially became the most-attended and highest-grossing tour of all time by its completion. Dates begin on May 6th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, before wrapping up on September 23rd at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA (see attached itinerary). Main support on a majority of the dates comes from multi-platinum artist Khalid (May 6th-September 2nd) with rapper/singer-songwriter Russ rounding out the tour (September 9th-23rd); Dylan, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters, and Rosa Linn alternate as first of three. Sheeran recently wrapped the UK/European leg of the “+ – = ÷ x Tour,” performing in front of over 3 million people in 6 months and highlighted by a five-night stand at London’s Wembley Stadium.

We ask for all guests attending this event to please review the stadium event guide prior to your arrival.

Parking passes, and tickets should be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet to expedite entry at parking and stadium gates.

Ticket Policy

• All guests ages 2 and above must have an event ticket to enter the stadium.
• There is no re-entry after admittance.
• Guests should have their tickets ready to scan upon approaching the stadium entry gates.
• The ticket barcode must be visible no matter the ticket type.
• The Visa Box Office opens at 3:30 pm and is located at the north end of the stadium at Toyota Gate F. Walk-up tickets may also be available at the Visa Box Office.
• Tickets will not be emailed or available to print. Your mobile ticket must be displayed on your phone to get into the event . 

Timeline Saturday, September 16, 2023

All guests must have a valid event ticket, pass, or credential to park in a designated parking lot. Please download prepaid parking passes ahead of time and add them to your mobile wallet for an expedited parking process. Day of parking will be available on a limited basis. Credit card payment only. For more information, please go to ticketmaster.com.

Accessible Parking Mobility Services will be onsite at 3:00 p.m. to provide roving carts from the mobility kiosks in Red Lot 1.

Bicycle Parking Bicycle parking will be located outside Dignity Health Gate C and open at 3:00 pm.

Buses/Oversized Vehicles  Buses/oversized vehicles must park in Blue RV and contact the Visa Box Office at 408-579-4449 to purchase parking in advance.

Tailgating Tailgating is not permitted for this event.

Parking Lots in Operation Please note the prices below represent event day pricing.  

*with valid placard

All guests must have a valid event ticket, pass, or credential to park in a designated parking lot. 

Bag check services will be located in Red Lot 1 near Hilton Santa Clara. Bag check services will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bags that comply with Levi’s Stadium® Clear Bag Policy will be allowed into the stadium.

Levi’s® Stadium prohibits all bags, backpacks, and other carriers from being brought into the stadium with the following exceptions:

• Clear Backpacks
• Clear Fanny Packs
• Clear Purses
• One gallon clear plastic zip lock type bags
• Small Clutch Bag (the size of an adult hand) (4.5” x 6.5”)

ALL INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR BELONGINGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

Fans with medical bags or items they must carry with them must be inspected and either have a wristband or sticker placed on it to show that it has been inspected.

The following items ARE PERMITTED in the stadium during Levi’s® Stadium Events:

Bags that comply with the Clear Bag Policy

o Clearbagupto12”x6”x12”

o Non-clearclutchupto4.5”x6.5”

Binoculars shorter than 6 inches (case prohibited)

Cameras with 3-inch lenses or shorter (no lights, tripods, selfie-sticks or monopods)

Diaper bags accompanying a child

Flags smaller than 2’ x 3’ (No Poles)

Food and fruit (must be cut into pieces).

Plastic water bottles (factory sealed, no-alcohol, less than 24 ounces)

Reusable transparent water bottles (no-alcohol, less than 24 ounces)

Seat cushions

Strollers (contact nearest Playmaker if in need of storing)

Sunscreen & hand-powered misters

Umbrellas (no obstruction of other fans view)

Protective face coverings

Hand sanitizers up to 12 ounces

The following items ARE PROHIBITED in the stadium:

Aerosol cans

Alcoholic beverages

Bags that violate the Clear Bag Policy

Cameras with lenses larger than 3-inches (lights, tripods, selfie-sticks and monopods are also prohibited)

Cans, glass bottles or alcoholic beverages

Drugs & Drug paraphernalia, marijuana & marijuana products

Coolers (including soft-sided coolers)

Glow sticks, light-up costumes, light-up signs, battery packs

Hoods, masks, or face coverings that hide one’s identity or objects to cover one’s face

(medical & religious articles exempt)

Intoxication or signs of impairment related to alcohol or drugs

Irresponsible drinking or behavior

Klaxons, bullhorns, whistles or any other noisemakers

Laptops and Laptop Bags

Laser pointers of any type

Offensive clothing

Plastic bottles larger than 24 ounces and thermoses

Projectiles (footballs, Frisbees, etc.)

Selfie Sticks

Signs, banners or poles

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Weapons of any kind (including silverware)

Anyone possessing PROHIBITED items will be asked to return them to their cars or dispose of them in the garbage cans provided at the gate.

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) VTA will operate increased train service from Mountain View station (Caltrain transfer) and Milpitas station (BART transfer) two hours prior to event start. Post-event service will run for approximately 60 minutes post-event. For more information, please visit  www.vta.org .

Caltrain Guests heading to the concert can get off at the Mountain View station and transfer to VTA light rail service to Levi’s Stadium. Post-event, Caltrain will operate one extra train northbound from Mountain View to San Francisco approximately 75 minutes after the concert ends. For more information, please visit the game service page at https://www.caltrain.com./location/levis .

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

BART will run extra trains and offer special limited service for this event in coordination with VTA event service. For more information, please visit  https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230906

Capitol Corridor Capitol Corridor will offer special train service to and from Levi’s® Stadium. Post-event, eastbound train 750 will depart Great America Station at 11:59pm. For more information, please visit  https://www.capitolcorridor.org/blogs/get_on_board/take-the-capitol-corridor-to-see-taylor-swift-beyonce-and-ed-sheeran-at-levis-stadium-2023/ .

ACE ACE will be servicing this event with special trains on Saturday. Pre-event westbound train will arrive at Great America station at 4:28pm and post-event train will depart at 12:17am. For more information, please visit: https://acerail.com/event-train/

RIDESHARE The rideshare drop-off location at Levi’s® Stadium for this event will be on Great America Parkway curbside, between Tasman Drive and Old Glory Lane. The pick-up zone is located in Red Lot 7. Follow signage and staff instructions for additional directions.

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

VTA will operate increased train service pre-game from Mountain View station (Caltrain transfer) and Milpitas station (BART transfer) two hours prior to game start. Post-game service will run for approximately 60 minutes from the official end of game. For more information, please visit www.vta.org , or call 408-321-2300.

Capitol Corridor

Capitol Corridor will operate regular weekend schedule southbound to Santa Clara. For more information, please visit www.capitolcorridor.org .

Caltrain provides services from San Francisco to South San Jose with stops all along the peninsula. On Sunday, fans heading to the game can get off at the Mountain View station and transfer to VTA light rail service to Levi’s Stadium. Post-game, Caltrain will operate regular weekend schedule and northbound trains will depart Mountain View at 4:34 pm, 5:34 pm and 6:34 pm.

For more information, please visit the game service page at  https://www.caltrain.com./location/levis .

BART will run extra trains and offer special limited service for this event in coordination with VTA event service. For more information, please visit .

All accessible parking will be directed to Green Lot 1. Guests who possess a valid placard will be directed to park and must display their placard at the entrance to be admitted.

All accessible parking will be directed to Red Lot 1. Guests with valid placards will be directed to park in this lot and must display their placards at the entrance to be admitted.

Levi’s® Stadium takes pride in providing elite service to all guests, including those requiring mobility assistance. We provide a variety of services for our guests with special needs. These services include courtesy shuttle buses from selected parking lots, golf cart shuttles in the Main lot, and Guest Services representatives to provide wheelchair service if requested. Guests who require additional assistance are encouraged to contact our mobility assistance team at 408-579-4610 or email [email protected] .

Suite rentals are available for this concert. Click here to learn more about the suite life at Levi’s® Stadium or sign up below to find out more.

Ed Sheeran Unveils Dates for First North American Tour in Five Years

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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Ed Sheeran has announced details for the North American leg of his “+ – = ÷ x Tour” (pronounced “The Mathematics Tour”), hitting stadiums across the continent for the first time since his 2018 “Divide” tour,

Dates begin on May 6th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, before wrapping up on September 23rd at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA (see itinerary below). Main support on a majority of the dates comes from R&B singer Khalid (May 6th-September 2nd), with rapper/singer-songwriter Russ rounding out the tour (September 9th-23rd); Dylan, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters, and Rosa Linn alternate as first of three.

Popular on Variety

To usher in the news of the tour, Sheeran is set to make a pair of television appearances: on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on October 13th, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” on October 14th.   

“+ – = ÷ x TOUR” North American tour dates 2023 with: + Khalid – Russ × Dylan · Rosa Linn % Cat Burns ≠ Maisie Peters

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Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ World Tour

• By: FOH Staff
• Production Profile
• September 13, 2017

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is out on his world tour in support of his latest album ÷ (Divide), a title which follows in the footsteps of his previous releases, 2014’s X (Multiply) and 2011’s + (Plus). The albums were released, respectively, in March 2017, June 2014 and Sept. 2011.

Sheeran, who performs alone on stage, is a talent to behold. Unaccompanied by bands, backup singers, dancers or orchestras, he relies on just his acoustic guitar and a custom loop pedal to keep arena-sized audiences in thrall, selling out A-level venues months in advance.

Though working solo onstage, Sheeran is supported by an offstage crew headed by production manager and FOH engineer Chris Marsh, who has held both posts since the earliest arena-touring days.

FRONT of HOUSE also spoke with Charlie Albin, system tech with U.K.-based Major Tom, another mainstay on Ed Sheeran’s tours, and also guitar tech Trevor Dawkins and “Chewie” tech David White on the nuances of managing this simple-yet-large scale production.

Chris Marsh FOH Engineer, Monitor Engineer and Production Manager

Marsh has been a DiGiCo user for Sheeran’s tours for some time, first having used the SD11, SD10 and then moving over to the SD7, he notes.

“I’ve been very happy with the SD7, and why change something that has worked so well and been so reliable for the last four years? We still have very few channels, actually up to 16 but who’s counting! The only addition to the FOH setup this tour is the Waves BCL unit, which is inserted over the L&R bus. Mixing Ed is a very hands-on affair — he plays and sings very dynamically, and no two shows are the same. I’ve learned to use dynamic EQ and Multiband compression to great effect; they are my two favorite tools on the desk.

“I use very little outboard. The Maxx BCL is used to control the low-end frequencies. There is a big difference in how I want the P.A. to respond to the big looper songs and the acoustic ballads. I use two Bricasti M7 (guitar and vocal reverbs) and an Eventide Eclipse (vocal harmonizing and pitch shifting). Ed’s main vocal goes through an Avalon 737.”

For the Oakland, CA show pictured here (Aug. 2), Marsh and his audio team were visited by John and Helen Meyer, co-founders of Meyer Sound, based in nearby Berkeley, CA. Sheeran has been touring with Meyer systems for the last five years. (For more on the Meyer setup for this tour, see sidebar, page 32.)

“I love the consistency in the coverage of the Meyer systems. It really does sound good from the farthest nosebleed seat to the front row. Also, I hear a lot more detail in the mix than with any other system. It’s controlled by Callisto and Galileo processors, and we tune with SIM 3. I’m using a JoeCo 1u recorder to multitrack-record the show everyday, then use this as playback for virtual soundcheck each day.

“Charlie [Albin] leads the team in flying, cabling and testing the system. Once everything is in place, he time-aligns and tunes the P.A., measures the room, plotting those measurements into MAPP, which is Meyer Sound’s proprietary system design software. He and I then walk around the venue making sure we’re getting great coverage everywhere. During the show, Charlie walks around the venue again with his wireless tablet control and listens to the room again. It can change so much once the audience is in that it’s very important that we make any necessary changes to the system in order to keep the show sounding as close as it does at FOH, everywhere else.

“As an FOH engineer, the show is challenging. Having so few inputs to work with, there is really no margin for error. There are also a lot of variables with an acoustic guitar. As the one and only instrument on stage, it can create quite a busy time at FOH. Acting as his monitor engineer as well, it’s much easier. All Ed asks for is for the mix to be consistent, so I very rarely get asked to make any changes. We just check that the monitors are ‘safe’ every day. The monitors on stage are very loud and pointing directly at an acoustic guitar, so on initial setup we had to be quite creative about the placement of monitors and the EQ.

“I have communication with Trevor, Ed’s guitar tech, via a shout speaker system. Ed changes guitars every song, so if there are ever notes to feed back to me, Trevor is able to relay them. We’re using the Sennheiser 9000 series RF system for Ed’s vocal and guitars, a Sennheiser 9235 capsule on his vocal and a 935 capsule on the loop vocal.”

Charlie Albin System Tech

Major Tom system engineer Charlie Albin, like Marsh, is another veteran of multiple Sheeran tours.

“Since the last tour, we’ve added both Leopard and Lina Meyer Sound cabinets to our inventory, both of which are compact yet powerful boxes. The Leopard arrays at the upstage corners give us much improved coverage of the far edges of the upper bowl, often a tricky area to reach effectively with a side hang alone. The LINA make a superb front fill box where the small format and wide dispersion mean I can get a really smooth transition across the down stage edge while giving the audience the best possible view of Ed.

“As a starting point for the PA tuning, I use the Meyer delay integration and U-shaping EQ curves to accurately phase alignment the different speaker models, and also adjust for the low frequency build up inherent in large arrays. Using the SIM 3 system, I can then walk the venue, time-aligning the flown arrays and ground package, plus make any EQ changes to correct for the tonality of the room. Working with only Ed’s guitar and vocal onstage, we’ve found it useful to reduce the low-mid frequency content in the arrays more than if we had a full band onstage, which serves to improve clarity and minimize potential for the guitar to feedback.”

Trevor Dawkins Guitar Tech

Trevor Dawkins, who handles guitar maintenance, also sets the stage, finalizes the set list pre-show with Ed and advises of any set changes that Ed chooses to make during the show.

“Ed’s very good at “reading” the audience, and if he feels that a song a few numbers down the set may not work as well as another at that moment, then he’ll often change it. It’s my job, therefore, to make sure that all the various departments know of these changes during the live show, which I’ll do via radio.

“We currently use a ‘stable’ of nine guitars, and all are custom in one sense or another. The LX1Es, although being Ed’s third signature model from Martin, rather than having the factory fitted pick-up and controls, actually still have the discontinued Fishman “Mini Q” pickups fitted that we’ve been using since day one. We managed to obtain a stock of them during the + (Plus) campaign [2011-2013] and have been using them ever since. Unfortunately, we’ve not yet managed to find a pick-up that will stands up to Ed’s rather ‘robust’ style of playing, so we keep coming back to the ‘mini-Q’ time after time.”

Most of Ed Sheeran’s guitar effects are handled by Marsh at FOH, but Chewie Tech Dave White does apply some reverb to the guitar for the opening track of the set, “Castle On The Hill,” as Dawkins notes.

“I was tech for the Chewie 1 guitar pedal board as well, but to be honest, the guitar setup was a lot simpler back then. A decision was made to get somebody else in when it became apparent that there were going to be more guitars involved in the show, as well as the fact that we needed to try and streamline the Chewie board and to try and make it ‘stand alone,’ which it now is. It’s made a big difference to me having David around, as he’s now the person that the pressure will be on to sort any issues with the Chewie II during showtime. Thanks, David!

“Although the Chewie II is pretty future-proof (there’s another bank of four channels that Ed’s not used yet……), I’m really looking forward to seeing just how far we can take the entire ‘One Man, One Pedal’ scenario. Who knows, there might even be a need for a Chewie III at some stage…”

Dave White Chewie Tech

The Chewie II is a complete new creation based on Ed’s original Chewie Monsta loop pedal. The pedal that Ed uses onstage is a remote control for a larger system that sits under the stage.

“With this remote, Ed can record, play and stop the loops, and select which tracks to record onto, which are a mixture of vocal, guitar, percussive (also known as ‘Boom’) or both with a total of eight tracks that can run simultaneously. The pedal can also mute individual tracks as well as undo layers, which is track specific. The system in hosted in Ableton Live, which runs the plug-ins as well as patches some Choral and Delay plug-ins for certain songs. It’s completely digital, with all of the inputs from Ed’s guitars and vocals being wirelessly transmitted via a Sennheiser 9000 system.

“Matrixing and switching is controlled by the DiGiCo SD7, then fed into the Chewie II via AES. There is nothing in this system that stores sounds or loops. Once the Clear button has been hit, the machine is ready to record on a completely blank canvas. As the system is custom build for Ed, maintenance on the road has sometimes been a challenge with updates and new hardware being added as we progress on the tour.

“There is one patch built into the Chewie to add FX to a couple of channels for one song. All the other FX and production is added by Chris at FOH. It’s been a pleasure working with Ed and the team. The idea of a loop pedal has never been taken to this extreme and has presented some very technical challenges, but what has been created here is a marvel which only sounds the way it does due to Ed, the man with the guitar in his hands and the pedal at his feet.” 

The ÷ (Divide) Tour’s Tech Setup: A Closer Look

Along with Chris Marsh, who is serving as FOH engineer, MON engineer and production manager for Ed Sheeran’s + (Divide) tour, a Meyer Sound LEO Family linear reinforcement system supplied by UK-based Major Tom, Ltd. is traveling with the solo artist as he tours the world in support of his latest album release. It’s the fifth consecutive year that this speaker system has been supporting Sheeran’s shows.

“Ed pretty much entrusted production to me since the beginning of our relationship,” says Marsh, “and one thing that we’ve proven over the past four years is that the Meyer Sound LEO Family is the way forward.” As FOH engineer, Marsh depends on the system’s long throw and uniform response and credited the setup for its consistency. “I am entirely confident it will sound the same everywhere. For example, in Barcelona, where it was a 105-meter throw to the back seats, it sounded the same there as at front-of-house.”

Wearing his production manager hat, Marsh also appreciates how LEO Family’s rigging accommodates the tour’s up-tempo schedule: “My guys load in the PA and it’s up and out of the way inside an hour, and it’s loaded and on its way in 40 minutes.”

In most respects the main Meyer Sound system is similar to past tours, with a couple exceptions to deal with managing bass frequencies.

“As production manager, I was able to specify a stage only 40-feet wide,” he says. “That’s plenty of room for Ed, but it gave us space to place end fire arrays with three by three stacks of 1100-LFC [low-frequency control elements] at either end. With Ed, I need frequencies around 50 Hz to be really punchy and uniform everywhere, and this design works extremely well with the 1100s. They are fast and responsive where some other subs can get slow and ‘phasey’ in that region.”

Another departure for this tour is running the main arrays full range, rather than splitting bass off into a separate aux send. “I’ve discovered that letting the LEO boxes go all the way down really assists in delivering a tighter low end consistently around the auditorium.”

The tour’s typical configuration comprises twin front line arrays of 14 Leo loudspeakers flown over four Lyon loudspeakers, with extended wide-angle coverage provided by — per side — 16 Milo line array loudspeakers and eight Leopard compact linear line array loudspeakers. Twelve flown 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements supplement the 18 in the end-fire floor arrays, and eight UPA-1P loudspeakers supply front fill. The rig is optimized before each show by Major Tom system engineer Charlie Albin, another veteran of multiple Sheeran tours.

Foldback on stage is via MJF-212A stage monitors augmented by two 900-LFC low-frequency control units, while at FOH Marsh listens in the nearfield with a pair of Amie monitors.

Although the relatively new Leopard arrays play a secondary role in the current arena tour, Marsh has found them a welcome addition. “I’m blown away by what comes out of such a little box,” he remarks. “Last year we did private charity shows with Ed in smaller, conference hall venues using Leopard as the mains in ground-stacks. They were phenomenal, and perfectly matched to the 900-LFCs.”

Working with Sheeran has been a dizzying ascent for Marsh, a situation he finds gratifying if somewhat perplexing. “I’m still impressed every day that we’re selling out these huge venues,” he says, “but we don’t take it for granted. We are trying our best to give audiences the same exciting and intimate-feeling experience as when Ed was still out trying to prove himself. We have that same energy, though now it’s not trying to impress people but rather demonstrate that they were right to be impressed in the first place.”

At FOH, Marsh mixes for FOH and monitors behind a DiGiCo SD7 console supplemented by an Avalon VT-737 input channel for vocal plus a pair of Bricasti M7 reverb units, one each for vocal and guitar. Ed’s primary vocal mic is a Sennheiser 9000 Series with a 9235 condenser capsule, while a secondary 9000 mic — expressly for vocal loop-building — is equipped with a 945 dynamic capsule.

In the six years that Marsh has been supporting Sheeran’s sound, he has an intimate understanding of what he wants and needs. Sheeran, who had been using Sennheiser microphones from the very start, switched to Digital 9000 during his 2014 U.S. tour for his vocal, loop vocal and guitar.

“We had Ed’s guitar on a cable and DI for four years, because I simply couldn’t find a wireless system that gave us the sound that we needed to deliver his performance,” Marsh says. “On first listening to the 9000 system, we discovered it was the most transparent sounding system we had ever heard. We were only meant to be checking it out on a soundcheck, but Ed and I both agreed we had to use it that night, and we have ever since.”

Four mic channels are dedicated to Sheeran’s acoustic guitar, including one channel for electric guitar and three channels for vocals — main, spare and loop vocal. “For the loop vocal I use an MMD 945 super-cardioid capsule,” Marsh says. “As this vocal gets looped and repeated throughout the songs, I can’t risk there being too much background noise, so the tight pickup of the 945 is perfect.

“Ed’s main vocal is a cardioid MD 9235 dynamic capsule which captures a lot of detail. Importantly, it copes very well with being handled heavily and cupped a lot, which is Ed’s style,” Marsh concludes. “I use the Sennheiser 2050 wireless in ear monitors as they are rock solid, which is all that really matters to Ed.” — FOH Staff

The ÷ (Divide) Tour: A Solo Artist’s Marathon

Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) tour, the artist’s third major tour, is now traveling through North America, and it’s just part of a marathon, multi-year global trek.

The tour began with a leg in Europe and the U.K., starting in Turin, Italy on March 16, with 34 shows capped by three consecutive nights at the O2 Arena in London. The Latin American leg followed, with 14 shows South American, Mexico and the Caribbean. Then after a couple of shows back in the U.K. in late June, the ÷ (Divide) tour hit the U.S., starting with Kansas City’s Sprint Center on June 29.

By the time the current North American leg is completed with a show in Nashville on Oct. 7, Sheeran will have filled arenas for 60 dates. From there, he’ll be off to Asia (Oct. 22-Nov.23). The tour then continues into 2018 with shows set for Australia and New Zealand (March 2-April 1) and the U.K./Europe (May 4-Aug. 12). — FOH Staff

Ed Sheeran 2017 ÷ (Divide) Tour

• Sound Company: Major Tom Ltd/Meyer Sound
• FOH & MON Engineer: Chris Marsh
• Production Manager: Chris Marsh
• System Tech: Charlie Albin
• Guitar Tech: Trevor Dawkins
• Chewie Tech: David White
• P.A. Techs: Brian Thorene, Richard Wonnacot
• Console: DiGiCo SD7
• Outboard: Maxx Bass BCL, (2) Bricasti M7, Eventide Eclipse,
• Avalon 737, JoCoe 1u recorder
• Speakers: (14) Meyer Sound LEO (main hangs) per side, (4) Lyon (underhung from the LEO) per side, (6) LFC1100 (flown) per side, (9) LFC1100 (ground) per side, (16) Milo (side hangs) per side, (8) Leopard (far hangs) per side, (4) UPA 1-P (outfills), (8) Lina (front fills).
• Primary Vocal Mic: Sennheiser 9000 Series w/ 9235 condenser capsule
• Secondary Mic: Sennheiser 9000 Series (for vocal loop-building), w/ 945 dynamic capsule

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Ed Sheeran tops £600m with record Divide tour

Ed Sheeran is on course to break U2’s record for the biggest, most-attended and highest grossing tour.

Last night’s show in Hanover, Germany, was the 246th of the singer’s monumental Divide tour, which has lasted almost two-and-a-half years. Pollstar , a trade publication, forecasts that the tour will gross £606.5 million, surpassing the £605.4 million record set by U2’s 360° tour in 2011. It topped U2’s attendance record of 7.3 million in May and is expected to reached 8.5 million.

Sheeran, 28, wrote on Instagram: “Thanks so much for each and every one of you who have come to a show. 12 shows left, will never forget it.” The final four of the 255 shows over 893 days since March 2017 will be in Ipswich,

Who Is Opening Ed Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics Tour?’

Ed Sheeran released – (Subtract) , his fifth ( and final? ) mathematics symbols album, on May 5. Uproxx lauded it as “ a respectable return to form for Ed Sheeran after 2021’s = (Equals) .”

On May 6, Sheeran began the North American leg of his Mathematics Tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He played Houston’s NRG Stadium on May 13, and he will perform at Raymond Jones Stadium at Tampa, Florida this Saturday, May 20.

Before Sheeran’s 26-song set , including a few remixes, the stages have been occupied by openers Dylan and Khalid . They also joined Sheeran to perform their No. 6 Collaborations track “ Beautiful People ” from 2019.

According to SeatGeek , Khalid and Dylan will stay on as openers through Sheeran’s June 10 show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. From there, Khalid will be joined by Rosa Linn instead for five shows. On July 22 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Cat Burns will swap in for Linn, and the tandem of Khalid and Burns will handle five shows, ending in Denver on August 19.

Khalid’s final two shows will be on August 26 and September 2 in Seattle and Vancouver, respectively, alongside Maisie Peters . Then Peters will be joined by Russ for the final three shows: Las Vegas’ Allegiance Stadium on September 9, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on September 16, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on September 23.

Beginning this Friday, May 19, Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour will overlap with his more intimate, shorter Subtract Tour . The first of 14 shows is set for Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. Ben Kweller is the opener for select dates of the Subtract Tour . See all of Sheeran’s upcoming tour dates here .

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. .

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Ed Sheeran Announces Dates For 2023 North American ‘Mathematics’ Stadium Tour

The outing is slated to kick off on May 6 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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Ed Sheeran is bringing his “Mathematics” tour to North American shores next year. The singer announced dates for his first stateside swing in almost five years on Monday (Oct. 3), revealing a string of stadium shows slated to kick off on May 6 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

Ed Sheeran Covers Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Neil Diamond at Impromptu Ibiza Club Gig

Main support on the tour will be provided by Khalid (May 6-Sept. 2), as well as Russ (Sept. 9-23), as well as sets from Dylan, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters and Rosa Linn.

The “Mathematics” tour will come to North America for the first time since Sheeran’s 2018 “Divide Tour” became the most-attended and highest-grossing tour of all time. According to a release announcing the North American dates, the recently wrapped UK/European leg of the “Mathematics” tour found Sheeran performing for more than three million people in six months.

Registration for Ticketmaster’s #VerifiedFan sale opened Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET and will end on Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. ET; click here to register. The Verified Fan presale begins on Weds. (Oct. 12) at 10 a.m. and runs through Oct. 13 at 10 p.m. (times are local). The general public on-sale kicks off on Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. (local time).

Sheeran will promote the tour announce by dropping by The Late Show on Oct. 13 and Good Morning America on Oct. 14.

See the “Mathematics Tour” dates below:

May 6 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium (+ x)

May 13 — Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium (+ x)

May 20 — Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium (+ x)

May 27 — Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium (+ x)

June 3 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field (+ x)

June 10 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium (+ x)

June 17 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre (+ *)

June 24 — Landover, MD @ FedEx Field (+ *)

July 1 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium (+ *)

July 8 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Acrisure Stadium (+ *)

July 15 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field (+ *)

July 29 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (+ %)

August 5 — Kansas City, MO @ GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (+ % )

August 12 — Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium (+ %)

August 19 — Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High (+ %)

August 26 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field (+ #)

Sept. 2 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place (+ #)

Sept. 9 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium (- #)

Sept. 16 — Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s Stadium (- #)

Sept. 23 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium (- #)

* Rosa Linn

% Cat Burns

# Maisie Peters

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Ed Sheeran +–=÷x Tour (Oct 28, 2023)

Pull out your calculators because Ed Sheeran arrives in Las Vegas for the +–=÷x Tour. His 2018 ‘Divide’ Tour was just a tutorial for this years line-up of dates for the Mathematics tour. Purchase your tickets and get ready to add up all the good times and subtract the stress for the evening. Because an Ed Sheeran concerts always equals a fun night of entertainment.

There are still dozens of shows remaining in this 88-show tour and the ‘Mathematics’ Tour is already nominated for a People’s Choice Award. Ed Sheeran has your undivided attention performing songs from his “=“ album, including Tides, 2step, Blow, Shivers, The A Team, and many other hits from the tracklist. There’s much more in store for the Sheerios and red-headed look-alikes who came out to support their favorite singer. This show also features Russ and Maisie Peters.

We will all wait to see if Ed Sheeran will hit the jackpot and break his own record of highest-grossing tour of all time set by his last tour. The show will be playing at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

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Sign up for the Exclusive Fan On Sale (Powered by Seated) now through Thursday, May 2 at 11:59PM for the chance to buy tickets. Registered fans will receive a unique code and link to purchase before tickets go on sale on Monday, May 6 at 10:00AM.

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How To Get Ed Sheeran Tickets In 2024

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If Sheerios want to see Ed Sheeran live this year, they won’t have to travel all the way to the castle on the hill. The 33-year-old English singer kicked off his +–=÷× tour (also known as the Mathematics tour) in Dublin, Ireland all the way back in April 2022 and he’ll finally end its run in September 2024. There are three cities left for Sheeran to hit in the United States before he visits Europe and South America. Here’s everything we know about how to get Ed Sheeran tickets before the tour ends.

Ed Sheeran is hitting the road again for his "Mathematics" tour, and we've got the details on how to ... [+] get tickets.

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The 45 best toys for 3-year-olds that are sure to entertain them, where to buy tickets to the “+–=÷×” tour.

You might usually turn to Ticketmaster for concert tickets, but that’s not the best source for tickets to Sheeran’s shows. For one thing, his entire series of show dates isn’t offered on this platform, and some of his dates that are offered on TicketMaster are totally sold out. Here are your options:

• Ticket reseller StubHub has seats for shows like the fast-approaching Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. There, prices start at a little over $200.
• SeatGeek also has tickets to some U.S. shows, the cheapest going for just under $200.
• Both StubHub and SeatGeek have tickets to many of Sheeran’s international concerts as well.
• Many of Sheeran’s shows take place at music festivals that often sell tickets directly on their websites. There are often different options, such as a day pass or a 3-day VIP package. For example, the Boston Calling Musical Festival , where Sheeran will play on May 24, currently has eight ticket options still available, with prices ranging from $194 to nearly $3,000.
• Meanwhile, the BottleRock Napa Valley festival only has single-day general admission tickets left, going for $233 apiece; the four other ticketing options are sold out.

When Do Ed Sheeran Tickets Go On Sale?

Tickets are on sale now and some of the shows—including July 12 in Poland, July 27 in the Czech Republic, and August 3 in Lithuania—have already sold out. Check out reseller sites like StubHub and SeetGeek to try to snag tickets to sold-out shows.

How Much Are Ed Sheeran Tickets?

Sheeran’s three American concerts start around $200 a ticket. For the international stops on his tour, ticket prices vary and use different currencies, based on location. For the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy, there are three different ticket options, ranging from €78 ($83) to €130 ($138). Other festivals have just one ticket option, such as Euro Fan Fest , which starts pricing at €69 ($73).

The cost can also vary depending on whether you buy a standing-only ticket or a seated one. For the Hipodrome show in Croatia , you can stand for €90 ($96) or sit starting at €100 ($106).

Some of Sheeran’s concert tickets are for sale in currencies besides the EUR or USD, including the Stavernfestivalen in Norway. Tickets on the Stavern festival’s website start at 190 NOK, which is the equivalent of about $17. Meanwhile, tickets to the Polsat Plus Arena in Poland cost 344 PLN, or $84. Prices for Sheeran’s Puskas Arena show in Hungary begin at 24,900 HUF, equating to $67.

Of course, currency rates change often, so make sure to check them before you buy your ticket to avoid any unwanted surprises. A good place to do that is using a Euros to Dollar converter or, for other European currency, a converter with rates for over 200 countries.

Ed Sheeran 2024 Tour Dates

Sheeran has over two dozen tour dates this summer and fall, with a handful in the U.S. before heading for Europe and then to South America.

• May 3 : Hollywood, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• May 24 : Boston, Massachusetts at Boston Calling Music Festival
• May 26 : Napa Valley, California at BottleRock Napa Valley
• June 8 : Lucca, Italy at Lucca Summer Festival
• June 9 : Lucca, Italy at Lucca Summer Festival
• June 12 : Munich, Germany at Euro Fan Fest 2024
• June 16 : Lisbon, Portugal at Rock In Rio Lisbon 2024
• June 21 : Scheessel, Germany at Hurricane Festival
• June 22 : Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany at Southside Festival
• June 23 : Landgraaf, Netherlands at Pinkpop Festival
• June 26 : Attard, Malta at Ta’ Qali National Park
• June 29 : Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López
• July 4 : Stavern, Norway at Stavernfestivalen
• July 6 : Santiago de Compostela, Spain at Gozo Festival
• July 12 : Gdansk, Poland at Polsat Plus Arena
• July 13 : Gdansk, Poland at Polsat Plus Arena
• July 20 : Budapest, Hungary at Puská Aréna
• July 27 : Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic at Park 360
• July 28 : Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic at Park 360
• August 3 : Kaunas, Lithuania at Darius and Girėnas Stadium
• August 4 : Kaunas, Lithuania at Darius and Girėnas Stadium
• August 10 : Zagreb, Croatia at Hipodrom
• August 17 : Belgrade, Serbia at Ušće Park
• August 24 : Bucharest, Romania at the National Arena
• August 31 : Sofia, Bulgaria at Vasil Levski Stadium
• September 7 : Cyprus at Larnaca Marina
• September 8 : Cyprus at Larnaca Marina
• September 19 : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at Rock in Rio

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