Latest news with #CastleontheHill
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ed Sheeran given unusual secret code name ahead of Big Weekend surprise set
Only 10 people knew that Ed Sheeran would be performing at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today - and they used a secret code name when talking about the Shape of You singer Ed Sheeran was given a secret code name ahead of his surprise appearance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, we can reveal. The announcement of his performance came just 45 minutes before the Shape of You singer, 34, took to the stage and security had to close the area after it reached capacity. Opening with Castle on the Hill, Ed performed old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. Insiders said the performance had been in the planning for two months - but only 10 people knew about it. And to keep Ed 's appearance secret, they would refer to the singer as John Smith up until today. Radio 1 breakfast show host Greg James was one of the few people that knew about Ed's secret gig from the beginning. "I don't even tell anyone at work," revealed Greg. "I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement. "I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty.' I said 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty.' Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away." During his performance, Ed told fans he chose to sing on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. He told the audience at Sefton Park: "I'm glad you turned up. I know this was a secret. "I'm gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; If you don't know, it's gonna be a long hour for you." The singer added that by using his loop station, his set would be unique: "Everything you hear today is completely live. There's no backing track whatsoever. "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. 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." During his performance of latest song Azizam, Ed stopped and restarted his loop recording, telling the crowd: "I'm going to have to do this again again. This is how you know it's live. One more time." Ed, who has 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums and headlined the Big Weekend music festival in Coventry in 2022, finished his surprise set with Bad Habits. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set." Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Blossoms, Myles Smith and the Sugababes all took the stage for the second day of the three day event. Haim and JADE are among those performing on Sunday.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Watch Ed Sheeran wow fans with surprise festival gig as security step in
Singer Ed Sheeran has wowed fans as he made a surprise performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, much to the delight of fans. Thousands packed into the new music stage after it was announced he was performing just 45 minutes before his set. Security had to close the area after it reached capacity for the secret performance. Opening with Castle on the Hill, he went on to perform old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. He told fans he chose to perform on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. "But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set.' The 34 year old Perfect singer's performance at the Liverpool-based festival was announced a mere moments before he appeared on stage. BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend fans were seen dancing, jumping and singing along with their hands in the air while the music star belted out his hits. Rumours had been swirling that a big name star was set to make an appearance at the festival and it was later announced that the special guest was Ed. BBC Radio 1 made the announcement on their Instagram. In the video announcement, BBC Radio 1 star Greg James says the secret set is "the best surprise we could possibly have done". And it appears festival-goers were also in agreement as the area was so packed during Ed's set that it was locked down. A photo from the festival shows the crowd stretching out way past the tent which Ed is performing in. Ed's performance wowed festival-goers as one wrote on the comments of Radio 1's Instagram announcement: "Absolutely everything Liverpool needed" another added: "The goat is in town". Ed's surprise set comes as the singer is currently on tour.
Al Etihad
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
OFFLIMITS Music Festival brings all-star line-up for 12-hour mega-concert
25 Apr 2025 00:14 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Get ready for one of the biggest concerts on the Abu Dhabi entertainment OFFLIMITS Music Festival, being staged at Etihad Park, Yas Island, on Saturday April 26, is the first open--format event of its kind in the UAE,The 12-hour event, held across four stages, features no fewer than 25 is headlined by Ed Sheeran, but there's more than enough star quality on the line-up to warrant the Dh495 ticket price, with the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, OneRepublic, ARTBAT and Faithless waiting in the Sheeran has packed stadiums around the world with his chart-topping hits like "Shape of You", "Thinking out Loud" and "Castle on the Hill".OneRepublic will bring their signature sound to the stage. Known for their anthems "Counting Star," and "Apologize", their blend of pop-rock and soulful lyrics will have you feeling all the to the excitement are the Indie band Kaiser Chiefs, who topped the charts with their hit "Ruby".A surprise package are 90s house music legends, Faithless, who ruled the dancefloor with bangers like "Insomnia".Iranian-Dutch performer Sevdaliza will keep the party going with her blend of R&B and electronic sounds. Her recent hit Alibi has already amassed nearly 200 million views on trio Fun Lovin' Criminals will bring, well, the fun to the festivities with a signature mix of funk, jazz and rock that works better than it is a rising star in the pop world with that perfect blend of powerful vocals and unique production that leaves you hanging on every media stars ALTEGO are a DJ/Production duo made up of twin brothers who have taken over TikTok sounds with 4 billion-plus plays and more than 156 million streams on Spotify. If you're always scrolling through TikTok, then you may well have heard these guys without even knowing it was German pop star Leony is making waves in her homeland and has recently dropped a collab with G-Eazy and Felix Jaehan. See her before she gets duo DJ Mancha and Anastasis Voukis will bring more of the European party vibe to OFFLIMITS with high-energy beats and Mykonos island vibes at the centre of what they 2024 Time Out Dubai DJ of the year Mister Levier will keep the party moving. You can expect everything from Afrobeats to Dubai-based DJs Taya Kruzz, Matt Sochon, Katyleen, Whitley Rucha and Devon Kosoko will also be on the line-up for the day of festivities. Stripes, That Different DJ, MC Mocho and Sam Tonic complete the line-up.
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Surprise addition Ed Sheeran is the hit of Coachella for sheer talent
Surprise addition Ed Sheeran is the hit of Coachella for sheer talent Show Caption Hide Caption Coachella 2025: Charli xcx fans show off their best 'brat' strut We asked a bunch of Charli xcx fans to show off their best "brat" struts ahead of the singer's performance on Saturday, April 12, 2025. INDIO, Calif. − Ed Sheeran made his Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival debut on Saturday, and the crowd couldn't wait for his moment. Sheeran was announced as a surprise lineup artist when the festival set times were released two weeks ago. During Weekend 1, Weezer played during the same slot time on April 12. Though he was scheduled to play early in the day (3 p.m. PT), that didn't stop tired fans from trekking to the Mojave tent. The crowd was so eagerly awaiting his performance that festivalgoers were packed into the venue 20 minutes before the start of his set. 'At least you know I sing live': Lady Gaga 'sorry' for Coachella technical difficulties Seeing how many people showed up, it's bewildering that the Brit has never played at the festival. The enthusiastic response to his set, during which he impressed the audience with how he built up songs with a looping track by himself, will hopefully earn him a return ticket to the fest. Sheeran showed authenticity, wore his heart on his sleeve, and displayed sheer talent during his hour-long show, reminding us that he's the real deal. Sheeran was recently named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2025 for his "supernatural ability to connect" through his songs, voices, and words, according to Chris Hemsworth. That was on full display from the start when he started playing "Castle on the Hill" and got the crowd going crazy right away. The bass vibrated so starkly during the song that it felt like an earthquake, but it was just the magnitude of Sheeran's star power. While most performers have backup singers, a backing track, or a live band with them, Sheeran was on his own during his set, using his vocals, a keyboard, a guitar, and a looping station to create the beat of each song. It was impressive to see him create each part, from the bass to the background vocals, and know exactly when each section needed to come in. As each song slowly built up, it got people hyped up, making the lead-up to the chorus so much sweeter. Ed Sheeran Coachella setlist: Here's everything the singer played on Saturday As he highlighted several of his hits, including "Don't," "Thinking Out Loud," "Photograph" and "Perfect," among others, the beauty of Sheeran's music got to shine, not just through his often romantic and sentimental lyrics, but also by hearing the crowd join in and show their love for him. Listening to thousands of fans sing the lyrics, "When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath/ But you heard it, 'Darling, you look perfect tonight,' " is enough to bring almost anyone to tears. He even expressed his gratitude to the crowd several times throughout the set, including reflecting on the 15th anniversary of "The A Team." He shared that he wrote the song when he was 18 and played it in various pubs around London, hoping that someone would notice him and eventually leading him to sign a recording contract. He thought it would be his only opportunity to play music, so he lived it up to his fullest, but sure enough, the world couldn't get enough of him. Now, 15 years later, the singer, who has won four Grammy Awards, looked like he was still in disbelief to be playing at Coachella. If anything, the crowd was in disbelief that they got a front-row seat to a bona fide hit set. While the lovers in the crowd had plenty of cute moments to sing and sway, Sheeran also knows how to get people jumping around and getting into the groove, like when he mashed together "Don't" with "No Diggity" by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre in a very seamless transition. Sheeran has a busy few months ahead of him, from a summer full of shows to his upcoming album "Play." He played his newest single, "Azizam," a Persian-inspired song that means "my dear," and got everyone dancing like they were at an elaborate, joyous wedding (much like the song's music video depicts). Though he messed up his first attempt at the looping station (it was his first time playing the song at a proper show, he said), it only made his performance more charming. If anyone asks me for suggestions for future Coachella performers, I say to bring Sheeran back anytime and put him on an even bigger stage.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lunchtime eye test saved 25-year-old's sight
A man from Bury St Edmunds has told how a lunchtime eye test saved his sight. Hugo Fairbanks Weston was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour after visiting Kite Opticians in Ipswich during his lunch break. The 25-year-old business agent, who played young Ed Sheeran in the Castle on the Hill video, was just 22 when he started experiencing headaches and blurred vision. His symptoms worsened, developing into a severe migraine at work, prompting him to book an emergency eye test. Optometrist Adrian Kite discovered swelling in Mr Fairbanks Weston's optic nerve, which he described as an unusual finding. He suspected this could be caused by pressure from a brain tumour and referred Mr Fairbanks Weston to Ipswich Hospital Eye Department for further tests. Adrian Kite is an optometrist at Kite Opticians in Ipswich (Image: Supplied) An MRI scan confirmed the presence of a brain tumour, and Mr Fairbanks Weston underwent surgery at Addenbrookes Hospital just 10 days after his optometrist appointment. He had 24 sessions of radiotherapy and was given the all-clear within three months. Mr Fairbanks Weston said: "I was told later by the specialists that had I waited for an appointment I might have lost my sight, so I feel very lucky to have got my diagnosis when I did." He added: "The experience has changed my life, and that of my loved ones, particularly my girlfriend Francesca who became my carer while I was undergoing treatment. "My advice is to follow your gut - if you think something is a bit off with your vision or you are getting more frequent headaches or severe migraines, get it checked out sooner rather than later. "It could save your sight, or even your life." Adrian Kite, a member of the Suffolk Local Optical Committee, said: "Cases like Hugo's are very rare and happen once or twice in a career for an optometrist – it was certainly a first for me."
