Ed Sheeran proclaims return to Australia following record-breaking tour

Ed Sheeran will return to Australian shores in 2026 as a part of his all-new Loop tour.

The occasion has huge boots to fill, after Sheeran broke the Australian file for attendance at a ticketed occasion twice in the identical month throughout his final go to.

In March 2023, he carried out to crowds of 110,000 and 108,000 over two nights on the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Mathematics Tour.

The Divide Tour in 2018 was additionally a file breaker, after he bought multiple million tickets throughout Australia and New Zealand.

It earned him the title of most tickets bought for an Australian, New Zealand tour, beating the 1997 file held by Dire Straits.

Taylor Swift’s Australian leg of the Eras tour got here near Sheeran’s file, promoting 96,000 tickets on the MCG on the most important evening and performing to a complete of 624,500 throughout seven nights.

Sheeran was just lately celebrated as a 12-time member of Spotify’s Billions Club, and his 2017 hit Shape of You was Apple’s most-streamed tune for the previous decade.

New methods, but additionally again to fundamentals

Upon the tour announcement, Sheeran spoke from Bertie Blossoms pub in London to followers and press at Sydney’s Lord Dudley, which was reworked into The Old Phone pub, crammed with Sheeran’s footage and memorabilia.

He stated the Loop tour would function a “new stage, new tricks, new set, new songs, old songs.”

The new tour will probably be much less complicated than the Mathematics Tour.

Instead, because the identify suggests, the tour will probably be targeted on the loop pedal, a tool that permits musicians to file musical phrases and play them in a steady loop.

“The pedal from when I started has expanded … it’s kind of like a loop pedal on steroids now,” Sheeran stated.

He stated the present had advanced a lot over time that he felt like he had overlooked what was nice about stay reveals.

And whereas he was bringing issues again to fundamentals, Sheeran stated to nonetheless anticipate loads of methods.

Sheeran’s reference to Australia

The worldwide Loop tour begins in Australia and New Zealand, and Sheeran says he’s “pumped to kick it off” there.

He stated Australia was a particular place for him, not simply due to its cultural similarities to the UK, however as a result of it was the place his worldwide profession started.

“The first place I was accepted as a musician and loved outside of the United Kingdom was Australia,” he stated.

Sheeran generally makes use of locals as his assist acts, and this tour will probably be no exception.

Missy Higgins, Fergus James, Bliss n Eso, Budjerah, and Conrad Sewell have all opened for him up to now.

Sheeran was shortly stopped by his publicist earlier than revealing which Australian acts could be becoming a member of him in 2026.

However, he did inform the press he plans to go to faculties whereas he’s within the nation as a part of his music basis.

“There [are] areas of Australia that [have] amazing music being created in,” Sheeran stated.

Sheeran’s newest releases, Azizam and Sapphire, are closely influenced by Persian and Indian music — and he says cross-cultural affect will play a giant half within the upcoming tour.

“Once we get to Australia, I’d love to come and do stuff with First Nations artists as well,” Sheeran stated.

“I think that’s been very fun throughout the tour, going different places, soaking up the culture, playing different instruments, different music, different languages.”

Sheeran additionally had shut relationships with music govt Michael Gudenski and cricketer Shane Warne.

He carried out at Gudenski’s memorial service in 2021, and his 2023 MCG present honoured Gudenski’s imaginative and prescient for him.

Sheeran stated on his return, he would go to the Warne and Gudenski households whereas privately reflecting on these relationships, however the tour itself will probably be separate.

When is Sheeran showing?

Friday, January 16

GO Media Stadium | Auckland, NZ

Wednesday, January 21

Sky Stadium | Wellington, NZ

Saturday, January 24

Apollo Projects Stadium | Christchurch, NZ

Saturday, January 31

Optus Stadium | Perth, WA

Friday, February 13

Accor Stadium | Sydney, NSW

Saturday, February 14

Accor Stadium | Sydney, NSW

Friday, February 20

Suncorp Stadium | Brisbane, QLD

Saturday, February 21

Suncorp Stadium | Brisbane, QLD

Thursday, February 26

Marvel Stadium | Melbourne, VIC

Friday, February 27

Marvel Stadium | Melbourne, VIC

Thursday, March 5

Adelaide Oval | Adelaide, SA