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NZ Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Ed Sheeran adds second Christchurch show to January 2026 New Zealand tour
Ed Sheeran performed to an adoring crowd of a record 48,000 fans at Sky Stadium in 2023. Photo / Brady Dyer From Auckland, Sheeran will travel to Wellington for a midweek concert on Wednesday, January 21 at Sky Stadium, before finishing the New Zealand leg in Christchurch and heading westwards to Australia. Sheeran's Christchurch shows at Apollo Projects Stadium will be his first in the city in 11 years. Aotearoa: Sheeran's second home To date, the Perfect singer has sold more than 2.5 million tickets to his previous shows across Australia and NZ, making him one of the most in-demand acts in Australasia. He's also one of the few artists to have songs totalling more than one billion streams on Spotify, with his 2017 hit Shape of You breaking multiple records across platforms. Sheeran's adoration of NZ and its fans is well documented. In 2021, he told ZM's Fletch, Vaughan and Megan he would have bought a house in Wellington a decade ago if it weren't for his strong ties to the United Kingdom. The crowd at Ed Sheeran's concert at Eden Park stadium in 2023. Photo / Alex Robertson In 2014, he even made a special appearance in Aotearoa's longest-running TV Soap Shortland Street, treating the residents of Ferndale to an impromptu song. His song I See Fire was written especially for Peter Jackson's second Hobbit film, with the hitmaker also spotted making a pilgrimage to Hobbiton, Matamata. During his last NZ visit, a technical hitch forced him to play an acoustic set at the first of his two Eden Park concerts. Despite the glitches, feedback from the tour was overwhelmingly positive, with Sheeran praised for his showmanship and good-hearted nature. 'I'm sad that I'm leaving in a couple of days,' he told the crowd at the time, revealing how NZ fans helped The A Team become his first big hit. 'But every time I come back here, I feel like one of your own.' Earlier that day, he had performed to a set of lucky schoolkids at Kōwhai Intermediate and Manurewa Intermediate, something he often does on his Kiwi tours. Ed Sheeran: The Loop Tour NZ Auckland- Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 - Go Media Stadium Wellington - Wednesday, January 21 - Sky Stadium Christchurch - Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 - Apollo Projects Stadium Frontier Members can access presale tickets from Monday, July 28. Tickets go on sale to the general public from Tuesday, July 29. For full tour and ticket information visit
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Ed Sheeran adds second Auckland show to January 2026 New Zealand tour
Ed Sheeran performed to an adoring crowd of a record 48,000 fans at Sky Stadium in 2023. Photo / Brady Dyer From Auckland, Sheeran will travel to Wellington for a midweek concert on Wednesday, January 21 at Sky Stadium, before finishing the New Zealand leg in Christchurch and heading westwards to Australia. Sheeran's Christchurch show, scheduled for Saturday, January 24 at Apollo Projects Stadium, will be his first in the city in 11 years. Aotearoa: Sheeran's second home To date, the Perfect singer has sold more than 2.5 million tickets to his previous shows across Australia and NZ, making him one of the most in-demand acts in Australasia. He's also one of the few artists to have songs totalling more than one billion streams on Spotify, with his 2017 hit Shape of You breaking multiple records across platforms. Sheeran's adoration of NZ and its fans is well documented. In 2021, he told ZM's Fletch, Vaughan and Megan he would have bought a house in Wellington a decade ago if it weren't for his strong ties to the United Kingdom. The crowd at Ed Sheeran's concert at Eden Park stadium in 2023. Photo / Alex Robertson In 2014, he even made a special appearance in Aotearoa's longest-running TV Soap Shortland Street, treating the residents of Ferndale to an impromptu song. His song I See Fire was written especially for Peter Jackson's second Hobbit film, with the hitmaker also spotted making a pilgrimage to Hobbiton, Matamata. During his last NZ visit, a technical hitch forced him to play an acoustic set at the first of his two Eden Park concerts. Despite the glitches, feedback from the tour was overwhelmingly positive, with Sheeran praised for his showmanship and good-hearted nature. 'I'm sad that I'm leaving in a couple of days,' he told the crowd at the time, revealing how NZ fans helped The A Team become his first big hit. 'But every time I come back here, I feel like one of your own.' Earlier that day, he had performed to a set of lucky schoolkids at Kōwhai Intermediate and Manurewa Intermediate, something he often does on his Kiwi tours. Ed Sheeran: The Loop Tour NZ Auckland- Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 - Go Media Stadium Wellington - Wednesday, January 21 - Sky Stadium Christchurch - Saturday, January 24 - Apollo Projects Stadium Frontier Members can access presale tickets from Monday, July 28. Tickets go on sale to the general public from Tuesday, July 29. For full tour and ticket information visit
STV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- STV News
Former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan dies aged 71, WWE confirms
Former wrestler Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71, the WWE has confirmed. With his iconic persona, Hogan was credited with taking wrestling mainstream in the late 1980s and throughout the 90s, performing for millions around the world. He was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame after a tape emerged of him using a racist slur. But he was reinstated after 'numerous apologies'. In a statement shared on X, the World Wrestling Entertainment said: 'WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. 'One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. 'WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans.' Born Terry Gene Bollea, Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977 and gained worldwide fame after signing with the WWE. He went on to win six WWE Championships before retiring in 2012. Hogan also appeared in a number of movies, including Rocky III, Gnomeo and Juliet, Muppets from Space, and The A Team. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ed Sheeran fans in meltdown over surprise appearance at homecoming gig
Ed Sheeran has risen to fame over the years for his impressive musical talent and is now performing a string of homecoming gigs and welcomed Westlife to the stage last night Singer Ed Sheeran surprised his fans with a surprise appearance from Westlife during his homecoming gig last night. The music star is putting on a string of homecoming shows in Ipswich this weekend. However, during his Friday night show, he wasn't alone and brought out some well-known faces onto the stage. Much to the surprise of his fans, Ed paused the show to announce that he would be joined by the iconic boyband. Speaking to his crowd, Ed said: "Can you make some noise, they've flown over all the way from Ireland for this, will you make some noise for Westlife!" The crowd then burst into cheers for the group as they walked on stage. Westlife and Ed then put on their own rendition of their hit song Flying Without Wings, with all of the crowd joining in singing along. Ed performed his first of three homecoming shows in Ipswich last night. He is performing at Portman Road Football Stadium on July 12 and 13 as well. The star sang several of his own songs as well as some covers being in the mix as well. A huge 30,000 strong crowd packed out the venue to see their favourite musician. Ed described returning to his hometown as "really cool" after not playing a major gig there since 2019. Ed's appearance comes as Olivia Rodrigo's fans were left stunned by the songstress' surprise guest at her BST gig in Hyde Park. The show came before her hugely anticipated Glastonbury Festival appearance where she closed this year's epic event. The 22-year-old American bright Ed onto the stage for a rendition of his early hit, The A Team. He had been watching Olivia wow the crowd from the side of the stage. As he waited patiently, Olivia then surprised those at the show when she introduced him as "one of the best songwriters of all time". This isn't the first time that the singer has rocked up at someone else's show. He has previously surprised fans at concerts of Limp Bizkit, Stormzy and Taylor Swift to name a few. And taking to Instagram following his latest surprise, he said: "Been a fan of Olivia's since Drivers License blew my mind back at the start of 2021. Both albums are no skips for me. I'm a proper fan." He went on: "Was gonna go watch the show anyway but she hit me and asked to sing The A Team with her, which was such a buzz. "That song turns 15 this year, and I remember playing it to rooms with no one in it in 2010, so to still be playing it to new fans with one of the brightest stars of the next generation is an honour and a privilege."
Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Ed Sheeran, Ipswich: The chart clogger returns with a familiar shtick
'This is more exciting than New Year's Eve!' exclaimed a man in the stands of Ipswich Town Football Club, as a large clock counted down the minutes and seconds until – not a kickoff, but the appearance of Ed Sheeran. After three years touring the world, the wilfully scruffy troubadour had returned to his home county of Suffolk like an inverse prodigal son: his tours tend to be prudent, highly lucrative affairs. Playing to a home crowd on a sunny Friday was an easy win, provided you didn't pay too much attention to the music. A 30,000-strong family had gathered to welcome their boy home, from grandparents to small children – most of whom were Suffolk locals, where Sheeran cut his teeth in small venues and on the streets. He strolled on stage in t-shirt and jeans, looking like a roadie. After opening with his latest single, Sapphire, he explained that the show was just him, his guitar, and his notorious loop pedal, which he uses to layer handmade beats, guitar riffs and his own vocals. (Low overheads, then: no wonder he's worth so much money. As well as saving cash, his performance style reiterates those fabled humble busker origins, reinforcing an image of him as a relatable dork.) 'This is kind of the unofficial start of the new tour,' he announced a few songs in, referencing his upcoming album Play. But Sheeran mostly played older songs, from early hit The A Team to Castle On The Hill, a Suffolk-set coming-of-age track named after the nearby Framlingham Castle. Then came the nasal sing-rap of Don't and the repellent cod Galway Girl, amid a wash of anodyne strum, including wedding staple Thinking Out Loud. To the irritation of many critics, Sheeran uses his undisputed talents to churn out offensively inoffensive singles: he's a career-minded chart clogger with appeal so broad that over his career, he has shifted 200 million albums. (He is also regularly the artist with the most Spotify followers in the world.) Not bad for the musical equivalent of a damp flannel. His trick is to water down genre to appeal to a wider pool of listeners, evident during a medley of songs that were first collaborations – including River (his song with Eminem,) Beautiful People (Khalid), and I Don't Care (Justin Bieber). The loop pedal shtick became repetitive in a show that lasted nearly two and half hours, drawing attention to the similarity of much of his music – a spell briefly broken when Sheeran brought out Irish folk band Beoga, industrious producer Steve Mac, and Westlife, for a collective rendition of Flying Without Wings. But ultimately, this was a one-man show, and one that's become unstoppable in its efficiency. Here is a man who can hold thousands of people in the palm of his hand with little more than some basic stage equipment and a faux-ordinary persona. You want Sheeran to shake up his live show the same way you want him to shake up his music – knowing that he probably won't, and will never really need to.
