FACT Review: Ed Sheeran's one-man show proves to be the perfect equation
Abu Dhabi has been upping the ante lately with a lineup of incredible concerts. 2025 kicked off with Coldplay, and we've since seen legends like Sting, Christina Aguilera, and Usher set stages on fire. Most recently, it was Ed Sheeran who headlined the inaugural Offlimits Music Festival in the capital.
Bringing his Mathematics Tour to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Park, this marked Ed Sheeran's first-ever performance in the UAE capital. He had previously wowed Dubai crowds last year with the same tour.
As a long time Ed Sheeran fan, this concert was a third time's the charm moment. Having missed his 2015 show at Dubai Media City Amphitheater and 2024 Dubai shows, his performance as part of the Offlimits Music Festival felt like fate — even if fate involved a very last-minute dash to the venue.
Getting into Etihad Park was its own mini adventure. With Yas Mall parking packed to the brim, a solid 15-minute mall trek and then to the actual gate, FACT made it just in time.
Before Ed Sheeran took the stage, One Republic had gotten the crowd buzzing. The band's frontman, Ryan Tedder signed off cheekily, announcing, 'Next up is Ed Sheeran from the UK… he's alright,' sending ripples of laughter and cheers through the crowd.
Then, without any dramatic pause, playful tease, or the usual 'get-your-phones-ready' intro most artists lean on, Ed Sheeran burst onto the stage strumming — and drumming — with his battered and beloved guitar. The crowd instantly erupted.
Dressed in simple black trousers and a black T-shirt that had 'Abu Dhabi' printed across it in the colourful style of his Mathematics Tour branding, Ed Sheeran took command of the stage effortlessly.
He kicked off with a guitar solo, layering beats with his loop pedal. This lets him create tunes completely live and have them looped, freeing him up to interact with the crowd without missing a note.
Once Ed Sheeran was in the groove, he launched into Castle on the Hill, with the entire crowd belting along. Behind him, animations danced across giant screens — some clips from his album artwork, some live visuals like butterflies fluttering across bright backgrounds. It added a dreamy feel without overpowering the simplicity of his one-man-band setup.
Ed Sheeran rolled through hit after hit — Shivers, I'm a Mess, and The A Team. Fun fact: the singer confessed he thought The A Team would be a one-hit-wonder. Safe to say, things turned out just fine for him.
When he sang Give Me Love, the mood mellowed, but the crowd stayed connected, humming along with him. Then, picking the energy right back up, he invited the audience to sing along that only made the night feel even more special. Next came Don't and Take It Back, where Ed Sheeran went full rap mode, ditching his guitar for a bit and just spitting bars.
While most artists spend live shows switching flashy outfits, Ed Sheeran stuck to his trusty black tee and swapped out guitars instead. It was clear. For him, it's about the music, not the theatrics.
Soon, he slowed things down with Happier, Love Yourself and Sing. When Photograph started, you could feel the emotional shift. That song hit differently as the crowd swayed under a soft green sage-like animation playing on the screens.
From there, the set flowed beautifully — One, Perfect and Thinking Out Loud had couples dancing and grooving in a sea of lights, before everyone jumped back up for Ed Sheeran's latest track, Azizam.
Finally, we hit the home stretch with the high-energy Shape of You — the entire Etihad Park jumping in unison — before he closed the night with Bad Habits and a massive firework display that lit up the sky. It was a grand, sparkling finale to a night that felt like it flew by too fast.
Ed Sheeran performed for two hours straight — no backing band, no break, just a man, his guitar, his loop pedal, and 30,000 fans singing right along. Most artists would have taken a breather, but not Ed Sheeran. He powered through with an energy and passion that proves why he's considered one of the best live performers today.
Now, to be fair, not everything was perfect. While Ed Sheeran's performance was spot on, the sound system at Etihad Park left a bit to be desired. It felt overly loud and slightly distorted with that crackling sound that can get a bit uncomfortable. Maybe it was because the organisers were trying to project all the way to the back of a massive crowd or to drown out the sounds from the other stages, which really should have been inactive during the headline set.
All in all, Ed Sheeran's set at the Offlimits Music Festival was nothing short of incredible. The sheer talent, energy, and heart he brought to the stage completely overshadowed everything else. After years of near-misses, finally seeing Ed live felt like the perfect full-circle moment — worth every step of the mad dash to the venue.
GO: Visit https://www.offlimitsfestival.com/ for more information.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Wolves' fans put up an emotional tifo for late star Diogo Jota
Wolverhampton Wanderers turned Molineux into a scene of raw emotion on Saturday, paying an unforgettable tribute to former forward Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car accident in Spain earlier this summer along with his brother, André Silva. Before kick-off, Wolves fans unveiled a spectacular pre-match tifo portraying Jota mid-celebration, accompanied by the words 'We'll remember you when you walk in fields of gold'—a poignant reference to his favourite Sting song, which also played through the stadium. The powerful moment brought his grieving family, present in the stands, to tears. The moving occasion was marked by a minute's silence ahead of the game, followed in the 18th minute—symbolising Jota's former squad number—by a thunderous round of applause that swept across the ground. Jota's wife, Rute Cardoso, attended alongside his parents, while former Wolves captain Rúben Neves and Portugal manager Roberto Martínez also joined the tribute, underlining the deep impact of his passing across the football community. Jota's legacy at Molineux remains immense. Between 2017 and 2020, he scored 44 goals in 131 appearances, helping Wolves secure promotion to the Premier League, achieve back-to-back seventh-place finishes, and enjoy a memorable Europa League campaign. His success at Wolves paved the way for a £41 million transfer to Liverpool, where he continued to shine and add trophies to his career. Fans filled the South Bank with banners, murals, and chants in his honour, while supporter groups have already begun crowdfunding to install permanent memorials around the stadium. As Fields of Gold rang out across Molineux, the atmosphere captured both the heartbreak of his loss and the enduring love of the Wolves faithful for one of their modern icons.
The National
4 days ago
- The National
The internet has made it impossible to be a good liar, so stop trying
The internet may be one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, but for all the convenience it's brought, it's also done something else – it's made us terrible at lying. One of the most recent notorious examples came from a Coldplay concert this summer. A seemingly harmless kiss-cam moment turned into a full-blown viral saga. A couple, both high-ranking executives at the same company, were caught trying to hide from the camera, prompting Chris Martin to cheekily remark: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy." Turns out, they were having an affair. The clip quickly went viral, the pair (and their families) were identified and both ended up resigning. All that secrecy, but pointless in an age when everyone not only has their phones out, but they are also quick to post to social media. And it's not only a romantic scandal, creative theft also gets exposed just as quickly. On a recent Egyptian talk show, a guest presenter and influencer showcased several European artworks, claiming them as her own. She almost got away with it until the original artists spotted their work online. The backlash was swift and public, and both the host and guest presenter had to apologise on air. Different languages don't matter, because artists will always know their own work. The 'I made it myself' lie doesn't hold up when Instagram has dates and timestamps, and images can be reverse-searched in seconds. Whether it's getting caught cheating at a concert or passing off someone else's work as your own, the internet has made it more likely than ever that you'll be exposed. Some readers might not remember life before the web, but most millennials my age have at least a few pre-Internet memories, and yes, life was more simple back then. If you couldn't be somewhere because you wanted to be elsewhere, there wasn't the fear of getting caught via social media. But these days, with all the ways someone can be caught in a lie, it still amazes me that people bother trying. Of course, not all lies are necessarily bad. Some might even be necessary. A well-timed fib can spare someone's feelings, smooth over an awkward moment or help you gracefully exit a conversation you didn't want to be in to begin with. But lying about where you went to university or claiming job experience you don't have … it's almost brazen, if it weren't so stupid. Especially now, when the internet makes fact-checking effortless. You don't even need a computer; a smartphone can easily do the job. Part of the problem is that people share so much online, it can be hard to keep things straight. Every post, photo or comment leaves a trail, and if one person doesn't spot the lie, someone else will. It's not only technology that's made lying harder, but the culture that's been created. We live in a time where oversharing is normal, constant self-promotion is expected and every moment is documented for an audience. That combination makes people overconfident about curating a version of themselves that isn't entirely real. The thing is, anyone can get caught. Every day lies unravel online. Like the influencer who posted a shot of herself in Emirates business class, only for another passenger to upload a photo of her in the same outfit, sitting in a less glamorous seat towards the back. She later insisted there's nothing wrong with flying economy, but her own staged image suggested she might feel otherwise. Or another influencer who was spotted picking up trash on a beach for a video, only to be filmed by a passer-by leaving the trash bag and its contents on the beach after the video was finished. Lying to impress others shouldn't be the goal, but in an age where we share so much, it's as if we don't have anything to show off, then we shouldn't be showing anything at all. In 2025, the advice isn't 'don't get caught' it should be – don't bother lying in the first place.
Time Out Abu Dhabi
08-08-2025
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
A walking club just opened in Abu Dhabi that's totally free (and comes with discounts)
Who said fitness had to be sweaty, stressful or outside? Let's be honest: not all of us are 6am sprint warriors pounding the pavement to chase a personal best. Some prefer exercise with air-con, a latte afterwards and zero risk of sunstroke. If that sounds like your vibe, Yas Mall's new walking club is about to become your new favourite morning ritual. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8am to 9am, Yas Mall is inviting early birds (and chill movers) to stroll through its polished, air-conditioned corridors – before the crowds arrive. You'll start at the Fashion Entrance, then cruise past closed shopfronts with all the calm confidence of someone in an Apple ad. The Walking Club is free, open to all fitness levels and refreshingly low-pressure. Whether you're clocking steps for your heart, your head, or just to justify a pastry later, you'll be in good company. Think of it as wellness without the gym intimidation or Lycra panic. And because this is Yas Mall, you're not leaving empty-handed. Walking club members also get access to exclusive deals and perks, including: 25 percent off at Lululemon and The Giving Movement Free samples from Good Health Nutrition 10 percent off at L'ETO plus complimentary infused water (first come, first served) Avobar salad and drink combos starting at Dhs75 20 percent off at Vapiano (Monday to Thursday) Honestly, even if you're just in it for the infused water and vibes, we respect it. More things to do in Abu Dhabi Everything happening in Abu Dhabi in 2025 From new openings to big events, this is shaping up to be quite a year Old Abu Dhabi: 15 best spots to uncover the history of the capital Peel back the layers of time Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once Your dinner inspo is sorted
