ed sheeran mini tour uk

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Ed Sheeran announces UK and Europe arena tour – kicking off this month

This comes after the announcement of new album '-' (Subtract)

Ed Sheeran has surprised fans by announcing details of a UK and European arena tour that kicks off later this month. Check out full dates and ticket details below.

The news comes after the singer-songwriter today (March 1) announced details of new album ‘-‘ (‘Subtract’) , his fifth LP to date and the final in his “mathematical album era” of records named after symbols.

To launch and celebrate the new material, Sheeran will be playing dates in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Dublin this month, with a once-off show in Paris in April. These are Sheeran’s only scheduled UK and European shows for 2023.

Fans can pre-order the album before 9am on Tuesday 7 March via Sheeran’s official website here to gain early access to the ticket pre-sale before tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 10 March and will be available here .

MARCH Thursday 23 – Manchester, AO Arena Friday 24 – London, The O2 Saturday 25 – London, The O2 Tuesday 28– Glasgow, Hydro Arena   Thursday 30 – Dublin, 3Arena APRIL Sunday 2 – Paris, Accor Arena

Sheeran’s new album is the follow-up to 2021’s ‘ =’ , and is released on May 5 via Asylum/Atlantic. ‘-‘ is described in press material as the “last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era” and is an acoustic-driven album that was written and rewritten against a backdrop of personal turmoil.

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Aaron Dessner  of  The National  teamed up with Sheeran on writing and production.

“I had been working on ‘Subtract’ for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” said Sheeran of the record. “Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.

He continued: “Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”

Earlier this year  Sheeran told fans that a “turbulent” time in his life had stopped him engaging with social media , but he didn’t detail what those troubles were.

Now, he has spoken of how “within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal [Edwards], a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety.

“I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.”

The news follows  reports that Sheeran declined to perform at King Charles’ coronation  this May.

Elsewhere,  the soloist recently launched ‘Tingly Teds’, his own range of hot sauce .

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• Date 24 Mar - 25 Mar 2023
• Venue The O2 arena
• Availability On sale now

Event Details

Ed Sheeran has announced that he will play a select run of shows to mark the announcement of his upcoming new album ‘-‘ (Subtract). He’ll headline The O2 on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 March 2023.

The only UK and European scheduled shows for 2023, Ed is set to play a host of fan favourites in addition to his yet-to-be-announced brand new single.  Ed Sheeran is set to release his new album ‘-‘ (Subtract) - the last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era - on 5 May 2023 through Asylum/Atlantic. An album that revisits Ed’s singer/songwriter roots, and one that was written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope, ‘-’ (Subtract) presents one of the biggest stars on the planet at his most vulnerable and honest.

Important Information - How to download your tickets on The O2 app

For this show, if you’ve purchased your tickets from theo2.co.uk or AXS.com you’ll need to display your ticket on your phone via The O2 app. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with news and information on  AXS Mobile ID tickets  and how you can download your tickets to your phone. 

If you’ve bought your tickets for this show via AXS then you can re-sell your tickets with AXS Official Resale   which gives you a safe, simple, and fair way to buy and sell tickets.

For more information on re-selling tickets from AXS and other ticket agents  click here .  

Please note:  If you purchase  resale   tickets for this show through any website other than via theo2.co.uk or axs.com, your tickets may not be valid and access to the venue could be refused.

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Ed Sheeran tour 2023: How to get tickets, pre-sale advice, prices and full list of UK dates

Ed sheeran said he 'spiralled through fear, depression and anxiety' last year as he announced the new record.

Ed Sheeran has announced a “mini-tour” of the UK and Europe to launch his new album’s upcoming first single.

In a statement announcing his new record, called – [the mathematical symbol for subtract], Sheeran said the songs had been influenced by difficult events he had faced in recent years .

The 14-track record will explore the experiences of his pregnant wife, who was diagnosed with a tumour that was inoperable until after birth, and the death last year of his friend Jamal Edwards .

Here’s what you need to know.

How to get tickets

Tickets for the tour go on sale at 9am on Friday 10 March via Ticketmaster.

The pre-sale opens at 9am on Tuesday 7 March for fans who pre-order the new album through Sheeran’s website.

Details about ticket pricing are yet to be revealed.

Full list of UK dates

The tour dates are as follows:

Thursday 23 March – Manchester, AO Arena Friday 24 March – London, The O2 Saturday 25 March – London, The O2 Tuesday 28 March – Glasgow, Hydro Arena Thursday 30 March – Dublin, 3Arena

What has Sheeran said about the album?

Ed Sheeran has been open about how he has drawn upon personal struggles for his latest record.

He said: “I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.

“As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul.

“For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.”

Sheeran recruited Aaron Dessner of The National, who collaborated on Taylor Swift’s lockdown records Folklore and Evermore , to help with the writing and production of the album.

More on Ed Sheeran

Work began in February last year and the pair wrote more than 30 songs during a month of studio time, with 14 tracks making the final collection.

The result is described by his record label, Atlantic, as ranging from “pared back, folk-leaning textures to bolder, full-band/orchestral arrangements”.

Subtract is the latest instalment in Sheeran’s mathematical symbol series, which has progressed through albums including = (Equals) and w (Divide).

In a departure from his previous album covers, which played on their title’s mathematical symbol, this one shows Sheeran’s face combined with a cracked and broken heart.

The sea appears to be a recurring theme with the album opening with the tracks “Boat” and “Salt Water”.

Other titles include “Life Goes On”, “Colourblind” and “No Strings”, with the album closing with the track “The Hills Of Aberfeldy” – a reference to the Scottish market town, which he has visited on a number of occasions.

Images taken by acclaimed US photographer Annie Leibovitz and released alongside the announcement show the Suffolk songwriter being washed away by waves and crouched over a writing desk at night.

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All the songs from Ed Sheeran's mini tour set list

These are his only UK dates this year

Ed Sheeran has now started his mini tour ! The first gig took place at Manchester's AO Arena on Thursday 23rd March, and saw Ed perform 23 songs.

The songs included in his set list featured many well-loved songs, such as 'The A Team' and 'Shivers', along with his brand new song ' Eyes Closed '. Ed even surprised fans with a cover of the Lewis Capaldi hit 'Someone You Loved'.

See Ed Sheeran's full set list below:

1 - 'Give Me Love'

2 - 'I'm a Mess'

3 - 'Shivers'

4 - 'The City'

5 - 'Don't / 'No Diggity'

6 - 'Tenerife Sea'

7 - 'The A Team'

8 - 'Someone You Loved' (Lewis Capaldi cover)

9 - 'Dive'

10 - 'Castle on the Hill'

11 - 'Lego House'

12 - 'U.N.I.'

13 - 'Overpass Graffiti'

14 - 'Freefalling' / 'Thinking Out Loud'

15 - 'One' / 'Photograph'

16 - 'Eyes Closed'

17 - 'Perfect'

18 - 'Bloodstream'

19 - 'The Parting Glass'

20 - 'Afterglow'

21 - 'Shape of You'

22 - 'Bad Habits'

23 - 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You'

Please note these songs are an indication of what was played on one night and each show might differ.

After Manchester, Ed will be playing in London, Glasgow, Dublin and Paris, however tickets are now sold out.

Ed surprised fans earlier this month while on tour down under, with the announcement that he would be doing a mini tour in the UK and Europe. He told his fans in a video shared on social media: "Hello everyone in UK and Europe. I'm basically coming back and doing a mini tour to launch the first single from 'Subtract', these are the only shows I'm going to be doing in the UK and Europe this year, and if you want early access to tickets go to my website, preorder some tracks and I'll see you there. Lots of love."

Who is supporting Ed Sheeran on tour?

For his mini tour, Ed is joined by Cian Ducrot . On the first day of the tour, Cian took to Twitter to share his excitement saying: 'Tour with @edsheeran starts today 🥹 INSANE'.

You can hear songs by Ed Sheeran on Downtown Radio.

Take a look through other tours to look forward to this year:

Diversity - 'supernova'.

Britain's most-successful dance group, Diversity will be taking their all-new 'Supernova' tour on a 64-date run around the UK in 2023 and 2024.

Tom Walker has announced several dates for his 2024 tour, in support of his second album 'I Am'. The album features his songs 'Burn' and 'Freaking Out.

Daniel Bedingfield

Daniel Bedingfield has announced three April dates in the UK to celebrate 20 years of his classic album 'Gotta Get Thru This'.

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith has announced a huge 26-date tour for Spring 2024. The 'Can't Rely On You' singer will head out in April 2024 in Reading and finish up in June 2024 in Lincoln.

Tate McRae has announced her 'Think Later' tour, in support of her second album which was released in December 2023. The singer will perform at several dates across the UK in April.

Blue have announced dates across the UK, performing their greatest hits from the last 20 years. The band start their tour in April.

Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud have announced they will be reuniting for a tour in 2024. The tour is called 'The Girls Aloud Show' and will see the group performing many of their fantastic hits in celebration of their late bandmate Sarah Harding.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj will be going on her 'Pink Friday 2 World Tour' in May 2024, including UK dates, in Manchester, Birmingham and London.

Jonas Brothers 2024

Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas, otherwise known as the Jonas Brothers, will play four UK dates in June 2024, in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

P!nk is bringing her 'Summer Carnival Tour' back to the UK for 2024. The singer will be supported by The Script, Gayle and DJ and producer KidCutUp. Her tour takes place throughout June 2024.

Anne-Marie has announced a continuation of her 'Unhealthy Club' tour. This new summer tour will see the singer performing at festivals and other outdoor locations. Her summer tour will take place in June and July 2024.

Taylor Swift - 'The Eras Tour' 2024

Taylor Swift has now announced several UK dates for her 'Eras' tour. The singer will be coming to Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London in June and August 2024.

Tom Grennan - Gunnersbury Park

Tom Grennan has announced his biggest headline gig ever at Gunnersbury Park, London on Saturday 10th August 2024.

Busted will be going on tour in the summer of 2024, starting on 17th May in Marlow and continuing throughout the summer until 31st August in Scarborough.

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake has announced several dates in the UK as part of 'The Forget Tomorrow' world tour. He will be playing Birmingham, Manchester and London in August 2024.

Jess Glynne - 'Summer 2024'

Jess Glynne has announced outdoor dates for summer 2024. The singer will start in June 2024 in Scarborough and perform across England and Wales, finishing in London in August.

Becky Hill - Arena tour 2024

Becky Hill has announced nine UK dates for her first arena tour in 2024. They take place in October 2024.

Dua Lipa has announced a one-off gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 17th October, where fans can expect her to perform many of the new songs from her album 'Radical Optimism'.

'Jumping All Over The World' legends Scooter are heading around the UK and Ireland on their 30th anniversary tour - titled 'Thirty, Rough and Dirty'. Dates take place in October and November.

Charli XCX has announced four extra dates for her 'BRAT' UK tour, with special guest Shygirl. The singer, known for hits such as 'Boom Clap', and 'Speed Drive' from the Barbie movie, will be performing in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Usher has announced several dates in the UK in March, April and May 2025. Tickets are now on sale for all dates.

Ed Sheeran announces mini UK tour starting this month

Ed Sheeran releases his emotional song 'Eyes Closed' along with the music video

Disney+ release the trailer for Ed Sheeran's documentary The Sum Of It All

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News / Entertainment

Ed Sheeran surprises fans with new album and 'mini tour' announcement

It comes ahead of the chart-topper's new album Subtract (-), which is due to be released on May 5.

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More on this story, ed sheeran reveals wife was diagnosed with tumour during pregnancy, ed sheeran offers to buy £1.6m 'hell hole' mansion from lewis capaldi, ed sheeran’s request for us copyright lawsuit to be dismissed is denied, ed sheeran and co-writers awarded £900k in copyright legal fees.

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has announced a surprise UK and Europe “mini tour” set to begin later this month, with just one date for Scottish fans.

It comes ahead of the multi-platinum selling artist’s new album – (Subtract), which is due to be released on May 5.

Subtract is the latest instalment in Sheeran’s mathematical symbol series, which has progressed through albums including + (Plus), = (Equals) and ÷ (Divide).

The 32-year-old announced his new album and “mini tour” to his millions of supporters on Wednesday, revealing he had “spiralled through fear, depression and anxiety” while writing it after his wife was diagnosed with a tumour and his close friend Jamal Edwards died.

The “mini tour” will kick off on March 23, at Manchester’s AO Arena before heading to London’s O2 Arena for two nights, then landing in Glasgow.

Sheeran will take the stage at the OVO Hydro for just one night on March 28, before moving on to Dublin and then Paris.

Where and when will tickets go on sale?

Fans can access the “mini tour” pre-sale by pre-ordering Subtract before 1pm on Tuesday, March 7 here .

An email with pre-sale codes will be sent to eligible fans from 4pm on Tuesday, March 7.

The pre-sale will begin at 9am on Wednesday, March 8, with tickets going on general sale on Friday, March 10 at 9am on the Ticketmaster website .

Ed's playing some UK & EU shows where you can hear the first single from Subtract. For early access to tickets, pre-order the album from the official store before 1pm GMT Tues 7th March. https://t.co/W2vnTwszLX pic.twitter.com/07SutLHdhW — Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) March 1, 2023

‘Subtract is like opening the trapdoor into my soul’

Cherry Seaborn, who Sheeran married in 2019, was told by doctors she had a tumour while pregnant with their second child, who was born in May, “with no route to treatment until after the birth”.

Sheeran said his latest songs had been influenced by the difficult events he had faced.

He said: “I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be.

“Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out.

“And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”

Sheeran added that he did not feel he could release an album that did not “accurately represent” his current situation and the challenges he has faced.

Describing the record as “opening the trapdoor into my soul”, he added: “For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like; I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.

“This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”

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Ed Sheeran announces UK and European tour: How to get tickets

Ed Sheeran has surprised fans by announcing a new UK and European arena tour set to begin later this month.

The British singer-songwriter announced the tour alongside news of his new album, Subtract, which will be his fifth to date.

Sheeran will be performing in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Dublin as part of the tour, with a one-off show in Paris in April also scheduled.

When do tickets go on sale?

Demand is expected to be huge. Tickets will go on general sale here on Friday, March 10 at 9am. However, fans can register to gain access to the ticket pre-sale on Sheeran’s website here.

Fans can also pre-order the new album on Sheeran’s website.

Where is Ed Sheeran playing?

Sheeran has been touring around Australia, but on Wednesday released details of his new UK and European dates.

He will be playing the following dates:

Thursday 23 – Manchester, AO Arena

Friday 24 – London, The O2

Saturday 25 – London, The O2

Tuesday 28– Glasgow, Hydro Arena 

Thursday 30 – Dublin, 3Arena

Sunday 2 – Paris, Accor Arena

These are Sheeran’s only scheduled UK and European shows for 2023.

What is the new album?

Subtract is a follow-up to Sheeran’s 2021 album =.

Sheeran said he “had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be”.

He added: “Then, at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.”

What happened?

Sheeran had previously kept quiet about his personal struggles.

However, he recently revealed he’d been struggling. He said this was why he had been relatively quiet on social media.

Sheeran went a step further on Wednesday when he explained how he spiralled into depression last year.

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He said: “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife [Cherry] got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal Edwards, a brother to me, died suddenly [aged 31] and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety.

“I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.

“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”

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How to get tickets for Ed Sheeran’s 2023 UK tour

The pop superstar has announced last-minute arena shows for March and April

Thought your March was already booked up with plans? If you’re an Ed Sheeran fan, you might need to do some shuffling – because the pop superstar has just announced a surprise batch of UK shows. The news follows his recent announcement of his upcoming album ‘-’(subtract), which will be released on May 5, and the shows will see Ed perform his new single (and much more). 

This select run of UK and Ireland arena shows will take in Manchester , London , Glasgow  and Dublin , and since they’re the only scheduled UK shows this year, you can bet that there will be scramble to get tickets. If you’re keen to hear ‘Bad Habits’ singer in the flesh, here’s everything you need to know about his upcoming tour.

How much do tickets cost?

We don’t know how much tickets for Ed’s new UK shows will cost. However, tickets for Ed Sheeran’s 2021 shows cost around £50 to £80 in London, and £45 to £75 in the rest of the UK, so we can probably expect them to be slightly more expensive. 

When do Ed Sheeran tour tickets go on sale?

To gain early access to the ticket pre-sale, f ans can pre-order the album before 9am on March 7 via Sheeran’s official website .

The early-access pre-sale starts at 9am on March 8, while the general sale takes place on March 10 at 9am. Time to set those alarms!

When is Ed Sheeran’s UK tour?

The shows are coming around fast, with the first show taking place on March 23 in Manchester and the last one on March 30 in Dublin. 

Here are the dates in full:

Thursday, March 23 – Manchester, AO Arena Friday, March 24 – London, The O2 Saturday, March 25 – London, The O2 Tuesday, March 28 – Glasgow, Hydro Arena Thursday, March 30 –  Dublin, 3Arena

Any news on who will support?

Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot is set to support Ed on this run of UK shows. 

When did Ed Sheeran last tour in the UK?

Ed’s +–=÷× ‘Mathematics’ tour officially began on 23 April 2022 in Dublin. The last UK shows took place last year, with Cardiff shows in May 2022 and London shows in July 2022. 

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Ed Sheeran at London's The O2 for Subtract Tour: How to get tickets, pre-sale and when he's playing in London

Ed Sheeran is back with a new tour and a new mini tour

• 13:22, 1 MAR 2023
• Updated 15:28, 9 MAR 2023

Ed Sheeran announced the release of his upcoming album and a select few gig dates for the UK and Ireland for 2023. The singer-songwriter revealed the news on the morning of Wednesday, March 1 that he’s been working on his next album, ‘Subtract’, for over a year before separately sharing six dates he’ll be playing in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin, before heading over to Paris.

He’ll be kicking off in Manchester before headlining two nights at The O2 Arena on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25. In an Instagram story, the singer revealed these will be the only dates he’s playing in the UK and Ireland this year along with how the public can bag tickets for the show.

So, here’s everything you need to know about Ed’s upcoming London gigs and how you can score those all-important tickets.

READ MORE: The MyLondon Awards nominations are now open - nominate your favourite pubs, bars, restaurants, shops and more

How to get tickets

Ed revealed public wanting to come to his shows will have to pre-order his album Subtract before Tuesday, March 7 to gain access to pre-sale tickets via his website . The CD version of his album is priced at £9.99, the Deluxe version and vinyls are priced between £13.99 and £44.99.

His album can also be ordered online via iTunes, Apple Music and Amazon Music . The price of his tour tickets have not been announced.

General sale can be purchased through AXS (for London) and Ticketmaster on Friday, March 10.

• AO Arena Manchester, United Kingdom - March 23
• The O2 London, United Kingdom - March 24 & 25
• OVO Hydro Glasgow, United Kingdom - March 28
• 3arena Dublin, Ireland - March 30

Support act

According to Ed’s tour poster, he will joined by Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot. He rose to fame with his single "All for You", after gaining popularity in 2022 on TikTok, The song peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.

The O2 allows small bags and handbags, one per person. Small bags are considered to be no larger than an A4 piece of paper.

Backpacks, travel cases, laptops, iPads, GoPros, laptop bags and large tote bags are not permitted inside the arena. But if you need to bring a large bag, visitors will need to leave it at the bag storage facility just outside the main entrance to The O2. This will cost £10 per bag.

In an emotional Instagram post, Ed wrote: “I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.

“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.

“Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.

“As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that.

“It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time, I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”

Pre-sale access to Ed Sheeran's shows can be done via his website. General sale can be purchased through AXS and Ticketmaster.

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Ed Sheeran Drops Dates For 2022 UK/European Stadium Tour

Ed Sheeran released the dates for his 2022 ' + – = ÷ x' UK/European stadium tour, which will include shows in Belfast, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen and Belfast…

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

Ed Sheeran announced the dates for his upcoming 2022 UK stadium tour, which will include shows in Belfast, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen and Belfast, among other cities. The outing, dubbed “+ – = ÷ x” in reference to the singer’s mathematically inclined album titles, is slated to kick off on April 28 in Cork, Ireland and keep him on the road through a Sept. 23 gig in Frankfurt, Germany.

Tickets for the first leg of the “Mathematics” tour will go on sale on Sept. 25, with information available here . The dates will be Sheeran’s first road trip since his two-year, record-setting Divide Tour, which ran from 2017-2019.

Ed Sheeran Gets Real About the 'Really Horrible Atmosphere' of U.S. Awards Shows

A remix of Sheeran’s single “Bad Habits” by Joel Corry, Meduza and Kue among others, recently jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart dated Sept. 11), scoring his  third leader on the list, following “Shape of You” (six weeks at No. 1, 2017) and “I Don’t Care,” with Justin Bieber (three, 2019).

Check out the video announcing the tour dates and the list of gigs below.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

Mathematics tour dates :

April 28 — Cork, Ireland @ Páirc Uí Chaoimh

May 5 — Limerick, Ireland @ Thomond Park,

May 12 — Belfast, Ireland @ Boucher Road Playing Fields

May 26 — Cardiff, Wales @ Principality Stadium

May 27 — Cardiff, Wales @ Principality Stadium

June 3 — Sunderland, UK @ Stadium of Light

June 4 — Sunderland, UK @ Stadium of Light

June 10 — Manchester, UK @ Etihad Stadium

June 11 — Manchester, UK @  Etihad Stadium

June 16 — Glasgow, UK @ Hampden Park

June 17 — Glasgow, UK @ Hampden Park

June 29 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium

June 30 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium

July 1 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium

July 7 — Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Veltins-Arena

July 14 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff ArenA

July 15 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff ArenA

July 22 — Brussels, Belgium @ King Baudouin Stadium

July 29 — Paris, France @ Stade De France

Aug. 4 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Øresundsparken

Aug. 10 — Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi

Aug. 20 –Helsinki,  Finland @ Olympic Stadium

Aug. 25 — Warsaw, Poland @ PGE Narodowy

Sept. 1 — Vienna, Austria @ Ernst Happel Stadium

Sept. 10 — Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion

Sept. 16 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund Stadion

Sept. 23 — Frankfurt, Germany @ Deutsche Bank Park

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Ed Sheeran announces mini-UK and European tour

Pooja Kashyap

Ed Sheeran has announced the dates for his upcoming UK and European tour starting March 23.

Ed Sheeran has announced dates following the announcement of his newest album, ‘Subtract,’ which is scheduled for release on May 5. The tour will begin on March 23 in Manchester, continue with two nights at London’s The O2 arena on March 24 and 25, then stop in Glasgow and Dublin on March 28 and March 30, and end in Paris on April 2.

The “Shape of You” singer also disclosed his wife Cherry Seaborn had to postpone her treatment after learning she had a tumour last year while pregnant with their second child.

Also, he described how his mental health deteriorated due to losing his close friend Jamal Edwards in February 2022 due to a cardiac attack he had experienced due to drug use.

“Within a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiraling through fear, depression, and anxiety,” Ed said.

“I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but unable to break through for air.”

The 32-year-old musician confessed that he had to replace an album in the works for ten years with his “deepest, darkest thoughts.”

 ”I had been working on ‘Subtract’ for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately how I viewed music and art,” Ed said.

“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thinking about the songs; I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s work with my deepest darkest thoughts…

“As an artist, I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time, I’m not trying to craft an album people will like; I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.

“This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is ‘Subtract.’”

Written By:

Pooja Kashyap, a spirited wordsmith, avid reader, and music connoisseur, seamlessly blends her love for literature and melodies in a unique symphony of storytelling. As an intuitive writer, Pooja crafts literary compositions that transport readers into the enchanting world of musical tales, creating an immersive and harmonious experience. With a keen journalistic touch, she invites you to embark on an adventurous journey through her written narratives, promising a captivating fusion of words and melodies. Join Pooja Kashyap for a literary adventure where stories and music entwine, offering a harmonious escape for the soul.

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Ed Sheeran UK tour dates 2022 confirmed - how to get tickets

Music star Ed Sheeran confirms a 2022 tour to include two huge gigs in Manchester in 2022

• 08:26, 17 SEP 2021
• Updated 08:32, 17 SEP 2021

Global music star Ed Sheeran has announced a major new world tour for 2022 which will include UK stadium dates in Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle and London.

The "Mathematics Tour" will follow on from the release of his new album, = , which is released on October 29 featuring his recent chart-topper Bad Habits.

The first leg of the tour will start in Cork in Ireland on April 28, 2022 before heading to Limerick, Belfast and Cardiff in May.

READ MORE : Blossoms and Rick Astley to perform the songs of The Smiths

In June the tour will head to Sunderland's Stadium of Light for two nights before heading to Manchester's Etihad Stadium for two huge gigs on June 10 and 11.

His last major tour of the UK came in 2018 off the back of the biggest selling male solo album ever, Divide, and which included four massive sold out shows at Manchester's Etihad Stadium.

On the 2022 tour, fans will get to see Ed perform an array of tracks off his upcoming album, ‘=’, live for the first time, and they will also experience a new production set-up with Ed’s staging in the round, surrounded by the crowd in each stadium.

Ed has also vowed to have a "strict stance" against anyone using unofficial secondary ticketing sites in order to try and stop fans being exploited when trying to buy tickets for his shows.

The shows on this tour will use specially developed mobile digital ticketing technology which have safeguards in place to ensure genuine fans are buying genuine tickets, and to stop unofficial secondary ticketing sites, and unofficial ticket sellers, from being able to resell tickets at inflated prices and rip off fans.

In order to make buying legitimate tickets easier on the day, fans are encouraged to sign up for an account with an official ticket vendor in advance of the on sale.

Fans who become unable to go to the shows will be able to sell their tickets to other fans at the price they paid + a booking fee through the official fan to fan face value resale platform at the place they purchased the tickets.

Full tour dates

Thurs 28th Ireland Cork Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Thurs 5th Ireland Limerick Thomond Park

Thurs 12th Belfast Boucher Road Playing Fields

Thurs 26th Cardiff Principality Stadium

Fri 27th Cardiff Principality Stadium

Fri 3rd Sunderland Stadium of Light

Sat 4th Sunderland Stadium of Light

Fri 10th Manchester Etihad Stadium

Sat 11th Manchester Etihad Stadium

Thurs 16th Glasgow Hampden Park

Fri 17thUK Glasgow Hampden Park

Weds 29th London Wembley Stadium

Thurs 30th London Wembley Stadium

Fri 1st London Wembley Stadium

Thurs 7th Germany Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena

Thurs 14th Netherlands Amsterdam Johan Cruijff ArenA

Fri 15th Netherlands Amsterdam Johan Cruijff ArenA

Fri 22nd Belgium Brussels King Baudouin Stadium

Fri 29th France Paris Stade De France

AUGUST 2022

Thurs 4th Denmark Copenhagen Øresundsparken

Weds 10th Sweden Gothenburg Ullevi

Sat 20th Finland Helsinki Olympic Stadium

Thurs 25th Poland Warsaw PGE Narodowy

SEPTEMBER 2022

Thurs 1 Austria Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium

Sat 10th Germany Munich Olympiastadion

Fri 16th Switzerland Zurich Letzigrund Stadion

Fri 23rd Germany Frankfurt De

How to get tickets

There will be no pre-sale for the tour.

General sale for the tour will commence on Saturday, September 25 at the following times per territory:

8AM BST : IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND 9AM BST : ENGLAND, WALES & SCOTLAND

Tickets will be available to buy direct from Ed's website which you can access here and via Ticketmaster.

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Ed Sheeran tour dates 2024

Ed Sheeran is currently touring across 18 countries and has 29 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, after that they'll be at Unknown venue in Boston.

Currently touring across

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Upcoming concerts (29) See nearest concert

Hard Rock Live

Boston Calling Music Festival

BottleRock Napa Valley

Mura di Lucca - Viale Carducci

Theresienwiese

Rock in Rio Lisboa

Rock In Rio - Lisbon

Hurricane Festival

Pinkpop Festival

Southside Festival

Ta' Qali National Park

Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López

Stavernfestivalen

Gozo Festival

Polsat Plus Arena

Puskás Aréna

S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium

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National Stadium "Vasil Levski"

Larnaca Marina

Rock In Rio

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Mahalaxmi Racecourse

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Recent tour reviews

After a 4.5hr drive to see the show we weren’t disappointed!

Lewis Capaldi was first up and as funny and great as ever. Had the crowd laughing.

The Darkness were not my thing but they engaged with one particular guy called “Rick” in the crowd, who also sang his heart out for an appreciative audience.

The main man Ed appeared on stage around 8.30pm with a huge smile on his face, to an immense welcome from the Ipswich crowd, he was born not too far away, so was nice to see him finish this huge 2 year world tour at home.

Also he gave hundreds of free tickets to the pupils of the school he attended when he lived there.

His vocals were simply incredible, loud, strong, smooth and steamy, just beautiful !!

Screen graphics and timings were perfect too.

His guitar playing was awesome to watch and I have no idea how he concentrates on so many things at once with the loop, that is pure talent and the build up and sound in some songs ie Eraser, Bloodstream and the awesome You need me,I don’t need you gave me goosebumps.

Ed was joined for Galway Girl by Beoga which was brilliant.

Special guest Stormzy for “Shape of You” was the icing on the cake and I’m so pleased I bought the tickets last year, they were worth every penny.

Only complaint was the rude and miserable guy behind the official merch counter!! Spending £50 on a hoodie for my daughter meant I had to save for it and it would have been nice to have had a “hello” a “thank-you” or any kind of a smile!!!

Luckily the bar staff were friendly, smiley and helpful as were the local people.

Would 100% recommend ED SHEERAN as someone to see live, he is INCREDIBLE.

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Let me just start off by saying Ed Sheeran is an amazing performer and speaker. He is comedic and doesn't require thousands of lights and a massive stage to impress thousands. He stayed interactive with the crowd very well. This is my 3rd concert ever and it was both the best and worst I have ever.

Ed Sheeran did amazing, he isn't the issue. As people know in concerts you stand and dance to most songs and sit (under circumstances) when ballads are playing or the performer is speaking. So- I was standing during one of Ed Sheeran's many sings along/dancing songs. I am a 6 foot tall 13 years old there for my birthday. In the area, I was in many people asked me to sit while he talked which I happily obliged to then learning the rules.

It was all fine until one man yelled in a very rude/angry voice yelled at me (during a dancing song) "SIT DOWN IDIOT IN THE BLACK HAT." Which at the very moment I didn't recognize as myself until my father went to lash back (as any protective super concert dad would do). This is something I had never experienced. So for the rest of the concert, I sat having an emotional/mental breakdown.

I'm not sure if it was the music or the people that made me cry so much. This was an experience I will learn from. Unfortunately, it is (probably) because Ed Sheeran reins in a large age group as an audience. This means sometimes people will be cranky, rude, or just plain snarky.

I understand if someone handicapped asked me to sit because they couldn't stand. But this man that yelled at me was about 50 or younger. I hope he ended up enjoying his concert because by halfway through my whole 6' or taller family stood and danced. He sat and everyone around him was asking him to join.

Sorry for my rant. Ed Sheeran is an amazing performer. I just thought you should know that people that (I know) will be everywhere (and we cant do much about them). But it was rude.

Great show! I bought my wife and I tickets as a gift for her (she was a huge Ed Sheeran fan even before he was famous) and we had a great time. My wife had never been to the venue, and while I had been to shows at Consol Enery Center before this was the first show I saw there since it became PPG Paints Arena. Everything about the production and performances (lights, audio, visuals, crew, musicians etc) went off with nary a hitch and was executed in a very timely manner. Props to all involved.

James Blunt opened, and like many people there (as he joked) I only knew one of his songs: "You're Beautiful". He was funny, charismatic, a good showman, and a good sport. He put on a high quality emotion filled performance, and despite his music being on the sadder side still managed to pump everyone up for Ed Sheeran. "Don't Give Me Those Eyes" was a highlight. He hung out in the Captain Morgan lounge after his performance and invited anyone interested to come hang with him. I came in not really knowing who he was and left checking out his latest music and regretting not grabbing a beer with him.

Than Ed came out (my wife had a pinch me I'm dreaming moment). He was noticeably quieter and a bit more reserved than Blunt when addressing the audience, but quickly dove in. I was always aware Ed was a talented solo artist, but you really appreciate his talent on a different level when you actually hear him perform outside of a studio live with just him and a guitar. Most of his songs were studio quality. A few songs dipped in quality but for charming and understandable reasons like audience involvement and impressive sped-up improv (i.e. the "Don't" and "New Man" mashup). He played nearly all the songs my wife and I were looking for ("Perfect", "A-Team", "Galway Girl", "Nancy Mulligan", "Thinking Out Loud", etc.). Since this was the "Divide" tour he played almost every song off that album (but not all: no "Barcelona", "Bibia be ye ye", etc.) He also played a lot of his older songs, including an audience request for "Cold Coffee" (he stated it was the first time he performed it live since 2010-2011). I also liked how he put on a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey during his closing song "You Need Me and I Don't Need You".

TLDR it was one of the best shows I have seen.

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The Ed Sheeran decade: how the everyman megastar remade music in his own image

In 2014, Sheeran became the most-streamed musician in the world. The 10 years since have seen his dominance grow, helped by relatability, a pick-and-mix approach to genre and a way with an earworm melody. But in 2024 is his influence waning?

E d Sheeran is popular because he is a generational talent. Ed Sheeran is popular because his output is generic and bland. Ed Sheeran is popular because he reinvents himself in line with the latest musical trends. Ed Sheeran is popular because he has a distinctive style. Ed Sheeran is popular thanks to his hardcore fanbase. Ed Sheeran is popular because the public are forcibly subjected to his songs via relentless airplay and playlist domination. Ed Sheeran is an earnest, authentic troubadour who grafted on the open-mic circuit for years. Ed Sheeran is a cynical shapeshifting pop music machine who gamed the algorithm. Ed Sheeran is the perennial underdog of pop. Ed Sheeran is its king.

Middle England’s megastar bard is a mass of contradictions, but one thing is crystal clear: he is unbelievably popular. We are spoiled for stats to prove it, but here are two: Sheeran has the most Spotify followers of any artist on the planet (10 million more than Taylor Swift, his good friend and closest competitor); Sheeran has been the most played artist in the UK for six out of the last eight years. His debut, + (Plus), was the UK’s third best-selling album of 2012 – but he was largely viewed as trite teen girl fodder. Then there was a serious step up in 2014, the year the Suffolk-bred singer-songwriter scored his first UK No 1 single with Sing, a frisky, Pharrell Williams-produced account of drunken desire that saw Sheeran graft rap, funk and rowdy dance-pop on to the acoustic balladry that had become his calling card. That year he would also become Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world. With his newfound sliver of edge and clever genre-blending, Sheeran had proven he was ready to step out of his troubadour-next-door box and into full pop star mode.

Yet Sheeran went further than just becoming a pop star – he ended up reshaping pop stardom in his own scruffy, unassuming image. In so many ways, the intervening decade of pop has belonged to the 33-year-old: his ability to exist across multiple binaries at once – earnest/calculated, eclectic/bland, ordinary/exceptional – means his career has dictated, fuelled and intertwined with practically all the major developments in modern music. The story of Ed Sheeran’s unit-shifting ubiquity is also the story of contemporary pop – and a roadmap for its future.

The 2010s were a time when stars stopped relying on the traditional press and began using social media as their main publicity tool. To cultivate the impression of intimate relatability that fuels these platforms, they needed to swap distant gloss for fallible approachability: ordinary clothes, goofy friendliness and simple pleasures were in; theatrical costumes, dangerous mystery and the finer things were out. This was a game Sheeran knew exactly how to play. He held his newfound status at arm’s length by repeating his hard-knocks origin story (he spent time sleeping rough in London while playing hundreds of tiny gigs). Although his scruffy hoodie-and-jeans get-up may have been second nature, it was also a ploy; in 2014 Sheeran told the Observer he would never get a stylist because “if you make someone look too like a star, no one’s going to have any connection with them”. His lyrics traded in this normalcy: broad-strokes sentimentality and references that rang with specific ordinariness (V05 wax, Shrek, alcohol decanted into plastic bottles). His stage setup – he generally avoids backing bands in favour of his guitar and a loop pedal – hammered home that sense of unmediated honesty.

The point of all this relatability is to fuel intense parasocial relationships: the modern celebrity’s bread and butter. Sheeran – who provided the personal touch by Zooming with fans on the release day of his 2021 single Bad Habits, and has long insisted he is essentially no different to his followers – is fluent in this dynamic (one that is partly responsible for solo artists such as himself superseding bands in popularity; it’s harder to foster emotional connection with groups online). Although he may seem out of step with his peers where rabid fanbases are concerned – his don’t tend to make headlines any more – he was actually a pioneer in the field. In 2012, the Guardian’s music critic Alexis Petridis found himself under attack from the “ Sheeranators ”, superfans willing to viciously fight the object of their affection’s corner online.

Yet it wasn’t only his fans, or even humans, who catapulted Sheeran into global stardom. In 2014 – just as Taylor Swift pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify (“It is my opinion that music should not be free,” she said), and before a clutch of superstars launched their supposedly lucrative rival service Tidal – Sheeran was waxing lyrical about streaming services. “Ed Sheeran ‘owes career to Spotify’” ran a BBC headline for an interview in which the musician attributed his ability to tour globally to the platform. “Spotify is not even a necessary evil,” he said. “It helps me do what I want to do.”

At this stage, Sheeran grasped what many – even the uber-astute Swift – still hadn’t: recorded music was no longer a commodity in itself. Instead, success was best sought by expanding your potential pool of fans with free-to-stream music, then eventually milking the converts with huge, expensive arena shows, the model pretty much all stars now follow (Sheeran’s 2017-19 Divide tour was the most lucrative ever at the time, a position Swift’s Eras Tour currently holds). But it wasn’t only about future income; Sheeran understood that streaming allowed for unprecedented reach. His 2017 hit Shape of You became the first song to reach 2bn streams on the platform – a headline-grabbing achievement that helped him ascend to a state of self-perpetuating ubiquity.

While Sheeran was breaking records on Spotify, he was also breaking something else: the charts. In July 2014, the Official Charts Company began incorporating streaming numbers; that first week, every single track from Sheeran’s album x (Multiply) appeared on the Top 100. When it came to his third album, 2017’s ÷ (Divide, the entire tracklist had a place on the Top 20, with nine songs in the Top 10. The goalposts were duly moved as a result; now  only three songs by one artist can appear on the chart to allow newer acts to get a look in.

The monoculture – the cultural mainstream that acts as a near-universal reference point – has been irrevocably fragmented through on-demand streaming and internet bubbles. Yet the mechanisms that were put in place to mitigate Sheeran’s success proves the core concept remains: it’s just narrower and more monotonous than before. Rather than chart hits reflecting divergent tastes and fandoms, a select few songs and artists dominate (particularly those who successfully transitioned from the tail end of the top-down record company and radio-dictated music industry into a viral-hit powered landscape, such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Harry Styles and Drake). In the UK over the past decade, eight songs have topped the charts for 10 weeks or more, a feat achieved just once in the previous 30 years. Unsurprisingly, Sheeran is the only artist to do the double, with Shape of You in 2017 and Bad Habits in 2021.

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Even as Sheeran was forced to release his grip on the charts post-2017, his influence has continued to loudly echo through them. Sheeran’s baseline sound – a rootless, mid-tempo fusion of old-school R&B and post-Britpop indie – was taken up by a glut of fellow guitar-toting crooners ( Lewis Capaldi, George Ezra, Tom Walker ), who also channelled his down-to-earth persona and shifted records by the shedload. His impact shows no sign of abating. At the time of writing, Sheeran descendents Rag’n’Bone Man, Teddy Swims and Michael Marcagi are all in the UK Top 20 – as is Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan; the self-anointed “Jewish Ed Sheeran” has already topped the UK charts for seven weeks this year with his hit Stick Season.

Yet Sheeran has always outpaced his pretenders. Never shy about his fixation on sales (“I do have numerical targets,” he said in 2017, revealing he had data sheets emailed to him each week), he has been commercially diversifying from the get-go. Sheeran’s collaborations with grime artists at the start of his career gave him a gateway into rap. In the runup to Divide’s release, he crafted songs to cater to both Radio 1 and Radio 2 listeners (the tropical house-inflected Shape of You and nostalgic power ballad Castle on the Hill respectively). He made the Irish folk-themed Galway Girl to appeal to the “400 million people in the world that say they’re Irish” and has strayed into massive global genres including Afrobeats (Peru with Fireboy DML), reggaeton (Forever My Love with J Balvin) and metal (his Cradle of Filth collaboration is out later this year).

Sheeran is clever with his stylistic promiscuity: his magpie proclivities tend to remove all subversion and idiosyncrasy from the original genres, producing a more palatable middle-ground sound machine-tooled to climb the charts (see especially: Bad Habits, his anodyne take on the Weeknd’s sinister R&B). It’s an approach that is increasingly widespread: instead of a distinctive community or subculture, genres become a mild seasoning that artists such as Sheeran use to pique interest without alienating their existing audience. The end result is a sludgy, vague, inoffensive post-genre sound that has served to homogenise music in general.

This is why, despite his keen genre-blending, Sheeran’s output exists in a sonic comfort zone (in doing so, his output chimes with the safe, repetitive nature of pop culture at large over the past decade, as it has reverted to reboots and endlessly recycled IP). Yet in 2017 his ability to deal in soothing familiarity entered a newly fraught era. The financial monopoly of the biggest stars – plus the phenomenon of keen-eared social media users sharing melodic similarities between songs online – appears to have increased accusations of plagiarism. This has led to artists pre-empting issues by interpolating or sampling existing songs – turning the charts into an endless nostalgia trip – while others dole out songwriting credits post-release to avoid legal action, something Sheeran did in 2017 when No Scrubs songwriters Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle were added to the credits of Shape of You.

The same year, an out-of-court settlement was made between Sheeran and musician Matt Cardle after Sheeran’s song Photograph was accused of copying notes from Cardle’s 2012 single Amazing. Sheeran regretted it, claiming in 2022 that the move opened “the floodgates,” when it came to copyright lawsuits. A year later, when he was taken to court due to the similarities between Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On and his hit Thinking Out Loud, Sheeran was determined to frame these challenges as an existential problem for musicians, vowing to quit altogether if he was found to have breached copyright. He wasn’t – and if his Photograph settlement opened the floodgates, this victory has undoubtedly nudged them in the opposite direction. Even better, the court case allowed Sheeran to breathe new life into a crucial element of his persona – and a quality that is increasingly defining pop stardom: underdog status.Last year a Sheeran fan told the Guardian he connected with the musician “because I’m also that uncool guy – a lot of us fans are”. From endless comic-book movies to Elon Musk, the past decade has seen nerds inherit the zeitgeist, and the scruffy, obsessive, slightly awkward Sheeran – who told Graham Norton he once constructed a Lego set on a date – can claim to bea part of that. “Taylor was never the popular kid in school. I was never the popular kid in school,” Sheeran said in 2017, turning his and Swift’s wild thirst for success into a revenge-of-the-nerds narrative. “Then you get to the point when you become the most popular kid in school – and we both take it a bit too far […] It also comes from always being told that you can’t do something and being like, ‘Fuck you. I can.’”

Sheeran’s winning-loser mentality ties into his relatable, everyman persona – “I’ve done around about a thousand shows but I haven’t got a house, plus I live on a couch”, he sang on early hit You Need Me, I Don’t Need You – and he’s not alone. Nowadays everyone is having their own pity party. Supposedly candid pop star documentaries following everyone from Billie Eilish to Robbie Williams (and Sheeran himself) seem designed primarily to cultivate sympathy, while breakthrough stars trade on victimhood and injustice: Olivia Rodrigo found fame as the teary dumpee on Drivers License, while Raye’s ongoing resurgence was kickstarted by her accusation that her label had deliberately suppressed her career for years.

Now, a decade on from Sing and his Spotify dominion, Sheeran’s imperial phase is petering out. His last album, the subdued and dreary Autumn Variations, produced no Top 10 singles and viewed alongside its melancholic, restrained predecessor, – (Subtract), suggests Sheeran is now less interested in pursuing smash hits. Yet his influence still resonates loudly through the zeitgeist: genre-hopping is now de rigueur, leaving increasingly muddy footprints over the spectrum of musical styles; resistance to the streaming model has dissolved entirely; mega-tours by established heavyweights are now the most important financial facet of the music industry; chart-clogging success is only getting more frequent; and staunch relatability is still the dominant currency for Gen Z superstars such as Eilish and Rodrigo.

In truth, however, Sheeran probably isn’t going anywhere. The stagnant, concentrated monoculture the musician helped will into being is one that will preserve its existing megastars; Sheeran is part of a small, success-hoarding cohort who rake it in as their fellow musicians are forced to work day jobs, while the ladder he climbed (honing his craft and meeting contacts on the club and pub circuit) has been kicked to the curb, with venues in the UK closing at record rates . In this new, rarefied pop landscape, Ed Sheeran has secured his invincible tenure: should he want it, there will always be a space at the top of the charts for pop’s underdog-king.

• Pop and rock
• Music industry

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