Ed Sheeran plays surprise set at BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend before headlining Glastonbury
Ed Sheeran thrilled fans with a surprise performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool.
The 'Thinking Out Loud' artist, aged 34, delighted the crowd on Saturday with an impromptu live set on the New Music Stage, showcasing his skills with a loop station to create layers of sound for his songs instead of using a backing track.
Kicking off with 'Castle On The Hill', his set featured beloved tracks such as 'Perfect', 'The A Team', and 'Shape Of You'.
Addressing the audience at Sefton Park, he said: "I'm glad you turned up. I know this was a secret."
He playfully warned the crowd: "I'm gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; If you don't know, it's gonna be a long hour for you."
Sheeran highlighted the uniqueness of his performance by noting: "Everything you hear today is completely live. There's no backing track whatsoever."
He explained the live nature of his music-making: "It's made live on the spot – control of my feet – and at the end it's deleted and it won't be the same at the next show."
He described the technical process: "The way that it works is you press record like this, and when you press play, it plays back and loops, and you can add layers on top of it."
In a moment of authenticity during his latest song 'Azizam', Sheeran had to restart his loop recording, assuring the audience: "I'm going to have to do this again again. This is how you know it's live. One more time."
With a history of success including 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, and having headlined the previous year's Big Weekend festival in Coventry, Sheeran concluded his unexpected set with 'Bad Habits'.
The Saturday line-up at Sefton Park includes Sam Fender, Sugababes, Tom Odell and Blossoms, while Sunday's performances will feature Jade, Mumford & Sons, Haim, Wet Leg and Tate McRae.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Chris Stark left fuming over wild Scott Mills and 'rude' Jennifer Aniston prank
EXCLUSIVE: Radio legend Chris Stark has opened up about the time his 'worst nightmare' came true during an interview with Hollywood icon Jennifer Aniston Chris Stark was left close to tears after an awkward run-in with Jennifer Aniston. The former BBC Radio 1 l egend is no stranger to interviewing some of the biggest names in entertainment but he admitted his chat with Jennifer was his "worst nightmare". The 38-year-old had previously sat down with Jennifer, 56, while she was plugging We're The Millers, during which they chatted about strip clubs, had a cheeky flirt, and Chris even told the Friends icon she was on most men's "list" of the five hottest women in the world. So when the chance came up to see her again in 2014 while she was promoting Horrible Bosses 2, Chris instantly leapt at the opportunity. But what he didn't know was that his former co-star, Scott Mills, had lined up a cheeky prank. Scott, 52, had secretly given instructions to Jen to be the "worst interviewee ever." But Jennifer was completely unaware that Chris had been on the booze the night before their chat. While things seemed to be going well, it soon took a drastic turn when Chris asked: "Your character Julie is so forward, I'm interested to know how you would make the first move, if you wanted to, with a guy?" Jennifer, in on the joke, instantly became cold, responding: "First of all, I don't think that's an appropriate question, I'm also committed to somebody. I don't hit on people," as Chris was left flustered trying to cover his tracks. Recalling the moment, he exclusively told the Mirror: "It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. "I'd had this big night out the night before, and I turned up to interview Jennifer. I'd interviewed her before, and she was so lovely, and it had gotten massive (it racked up over three million views). I wasn't aware I was part of a prank at the time. Scott had sort of arranged with her to be difficult in the interview. "I was sitting there, excited to see Jennifer Aniston again, it started so well, she was like 'Oh my Watford guy, how are you?' and then it turned into the most awkward interview." Chris went on to add: "Because I'd had this big night out, I was feeling extra sensitive and I wanted to cry and the ground to swallow me up. "Luckily, there was a moment when Scott walked in and I found out it was a prank. Those ten minutes or so, waiting for that moment, thinking I've just somehow upset Jennifer Aniston, was the most embarrassing, awkward moment I've ever been part of. Thank God it was a prank." But Chris, who now fronts the Capital FM Breakfast Show, admits he's had "so many" embarrassing moments over his career, but he no longer beats himself up about them. "I think the lesson that you learn is, you don't need to be embarrassed, everything moves on," he said. Chris recently teamed up with Dreams on their Bed Chemistry campaign, discussing looking after his own health and sleep due to having to wake up every weekday at 4am for work. "Sleep is not something that I'd really, I don't know, maybe put so much importance on," he explained. However, he admits that the campaign brought it to focus how important a good sleep routine was. During his conversations with members of the public, Chris discovered the term "bed chemistry" – how compatible a person is with the individual they share a bed with. "I've realised largely it's my fault that I'm not particularly sleep compatible with my wife," he laughed reflecting on his early wake-ups. He added: "It started from the point of someone who doesn't get much sleep so linking up with Dreams seemed like a really obvious choice and a really funny thing to go and explore but it has ended up sort of leading into my real life." Chris admits his wake up call is a "tricky one" for his family when his body gets a "massive shock" when his alarm clock goes off. Speaking about getting up and ready for his day at work, he explained: "It's a very stressful part of my day but having a nice bed and everything, I've always appreciated getting some sleep – everyone appreciates it. But since linking up with Dreams, it's definitely something I'm trying to kind of improve in, in every area." The broadcaster admits his new partnership has "opened up a few questions", admitting he often worried about his health due to not getting enough sleep. "There's another side to this as well," he said before expanding: "If you are going to have fewer hours and you can't help it, it's important your quality of sleep is good. That's something I'm trying to consider and give more focus to, and probably something at the very least I'm more aware of." Despite his early starts, Chris believes he's not "disciplined enough" to have a sensible evening routine as he doesn't want to "miss out on life." He said: "It's important to sound awake but it's also important to feel really kind of plugged into the world. I've had times where I've been doing this breakfast show, where it sort of feels like you might have lost yourself a little bit or rightly so, napping all afternoon or not present seeing mates. "I do sort of worry about missing out on things, it's all about balance and I think at times, I think I've struggled with balance doing this show. But it's something I'm feeling in a better place with at the moment." But Chris admits he's "fallen in love" with the Capital Breakfast show and his new role on the programme. This interview was conducted as part of Chris Stark's partnership with Dreams for their Bed Chemistry campaign, exploring how sleep compatible Brits really are with their partners.
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Ed Sheeran's swimming trunks among charity auction lots
Ed Sheeran fans from around the globe will have the chance to get their hands on more than 200 of the singer's personal belongings when they go up for Shape of You songwriter has donated the items to St Elizabeth Hospice through Bishop & Miller Auctioneers, which is accepting online bids until 15 from a Star Wars Christmas jumper, guitar, bathrobe and a even a pair of swimming trunks will go under the hammer."We're really excited to have this auction and it's a really eclectic collection of pieces for all purse strings," said Oliver Miller, from Bishop & Miller Auctioneers. "We get bin bags of stuff and we can confirm stains have been spotted, but that's the bizarre thing, you want the stains because it means he might have worn the items, " Mr Miller said. This will be the fourth auction Sheeran has supported in aid of the charity, which supports people with life-limiting illnesses in Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and previous events have generated hundreds of thousands of pounds with bids be made from around the items expected to reach anywhere between £25 to more than £1,000, the auction is predicted to generate at least £10,000. Judie Newman is the chief executive at St Elizabeth Hospice, for which Sheeran's mother used to make bracelets that were sold in the charity's Framlingham shop."Ed could have chosen any international or national charity, so we are so honoured and thrilled he chose a local charity that he has had a connection with for years," she said."Everyone will find something in this auction that they will love to have - it's a wonderful mix."We need to raise over £12m every year to run the hospice and we have to raise 70% of that ourselves through the community, so an event like this an absolutely wonderful opportunity." The online auction officially launched on Saturday, with the charity giving fans the chance to look and touch the lots at its Martlesham Retail Centre, in event attracted more than 600 people, which is nearly double its normal footfall for a Plaskett, whose parents were given "a really good quality of life" by the hospice before their deaths, attended the event with her told the BBC: "I think it is really kind of Ed and when he has done it before it has raised lots of money. "I brought my children to see the items and I told them it would be cheaper than going to his concert at Portman Road."You wouldn't be able to see or touch his clothes otherwise, so I thought it was nice for them - it's a treat." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Ed Sheeran suffers fall live on stage before making tour admission
Ed Sheeran was left red-faced after falling over on stage during the opening night of his Mathematics Tour in Madrid, having wowed fans at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend Ed Sheeran's European tour kicked off on a rather flat note... and that is not referring to his vocals. The Grammy-winning star took a spectacular tumble on stage in front of thousands of fans during his performance in Madrid on Friday night. At 34, Ed has managed to sell out two concerts at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, which can accommodate over 70,000 fans when filled to capacity. Luckily for Ed's international fans, they can still join in the fun each night thanks to the internet, but unfortunately for the star, this also means his embarrassing moments are immortalised. Videos taken by those present at the concert show Ed energetically sprinting onto the stage and doing a lap, urging fans to clap before his next song. However, his enthusiasm seemed to get the better of him, resulting in Ed ending up face down on the floor. Being the professional he is, he quickly got up and started strumming his guitar as if nothing had happened, laughing off the mishap. As fans behind their cameras also giggled, Ed shook his head, launching into his 2017 Divide album hit Castle on the Hill. Responding to clips of the incident, one fan joked on X about the gig: 'He had to be iconic from the start.' Another said: 'He's so cute, hope he's ok.' A third tweeted: 'LOL it's starting well', as a fourth wrote: 'LOL Poor thing, he's excited, leave him alone!' After his record-breaking gig, Ed shared a video on Instagram where he basked in the applause from the packed stadium, visibly overwhelmed and emotional. His heartfelt caption read: 'First show back for Mathematics in a long time. Honestly I get so low confidence sometimes in the music I put out still, I dunno how to explain it but I feel moments like this remind me how much I love what I do, and how much these songs connect, and how much I appreciate you guys for making me feel this feeling I've felt on stage since I was 11.' 'I love being on the road and sharing these moments with you,' he added. 'Such an incredible night and an incredible feeling, thank you for making me feel so loved Madrid. See you tomorrow x'. Ed's 2025 Mathematics Tour will see him play in 13 European countries this summer, with the set including his biggest tunes as well as tracks from his upcoming album Play, which lands in September. The hitmaker's popularity is clearly showing no signs of dipping, as he also sent fans wild with a surprise show last weekend. Following rumours of a 'big name' taking to the stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool, Ed showed up on the New Music Stage on Saturday afternoon, saying he chose the stage because he'd 'never played it before' and the tent had 'the best energy'. Ed's set was so popular that access to the tent had to be temporarily restricted as it reached maximum capacity. Also performing at Big Weekend was Stargazing singer Myles Smith, who is supporting Ed on his tour. Ed first burst onto the music scene in 2011 and has gone on to sell over 200million records worldwide. Speaking recently about his future, he revealed his plans to call it a day after releasing 10 unique studio albums, drawing inspiration from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. "I wanted to do 10," Ed shared on Jimmy Fallon's talk show, expressing his fascination with Tarantino, who he heard was making 10 films alongside side projects like Grindhouse. Ed's initial series of albums followed a mathematical theme, with titles such as Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, and Equals. Deviating from this pattern, he now plans to include Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Stop - an idea he's harboured since he was 18. In addition to this, the father-of-two, who tied the knot with childhood love Cherry Seaborn in 2019, is also continuously working on a life-spanning album, set to be released posthumously.
