Ed Sheeran is returning home to commemorate his forthcoming Play album. On Friday (May 2), the musician revealed a series of shows in Ipswich this summer, which will feature Ed alongside a stellar lineup of supporting artists as he takes to the stage at the Portman Road stadium in Suffolk, the home of his cherished Ipswich Town FC football club.
The concerts on July 11, 12, and 13 will see Sheeran perform with, respectively, Myles Smith and Tori Kelly on the opening night, Busted and Dylan on the second night, and James Blunt and Maisie Peters on the closing night. Sheeran, who acquired a minority ownership in the football club last year, shared a promotional video on Friday morning featuring his new single, “Old Phone,” where he was seen drawing the lines on the stadium’s pitch alongside an extensive commentary about the significance of the venue to him.
“I have something incredibly thrilling to share. One of the very first concerts I attended as a child was at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road to watch Elton John,” he wrote. “James Blunt was his opening act, and I became so obsessed with James’ music that it significantly influenced me as a singer-songwriter from then on. As a young teenager, I began performing around Ipswich in pubs and bars, and later moved to London to pursue my dreams because that was the path one took back then. Eventually, my career took off, and I toured globally, but for various reasons, I never got to perform in Ipswich, mostly since I lived there and believed that if I was going to do it, it had to be something truly special.”
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The artist mentioned that he first aimed to play at Portman Road back in 2019 after concluding the Divide tour, but due to the ongoing football season, he ended up performing at other venues. “It’s always been such a dream to perform at Portman Road that I kept reaching out to the @ipswichtown team, but because of my extensive touring schedule and the rigid nature of football scheduling, I constantly missed the chance to perform there,” Sheeran continued. “Fast forward to now, after becoming an investor in Ipswich Town, I have a bit more influence and asked if I could debut my new album there, as a special weekend of shows, and they agreed. I perform at incredible venues around the globe, but nothing holds as much significance as this one. This is truly a homecoming, and will be just three nights only. It promises to be an extraordinary weekend of performances, featuring an exceptional lineup (shout out @jamesblunt for returning and completing the circle).”
Early access to tickets is available by pre-ordering Play from Sheeran’s official store by 3 p.m. BST on Tuesday (May 6). A pre-sale will commence at 10 a.m. BST on Wednesday (May 7), followed by a general sale at 10 a.m. BST on Friday (May 9); click here for further details on ticket purchasing.
Sheeran recently unveiled the specifics of his upcoming eighth studio album, Play, which is slated for release on Sept. 12 through Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records. This will be his first full-length LP since 2023’s Autumn Variations and will include the Persian-inspired debut single, “Azizam,” as well as the nostalgic track, “Old Phone.”
Be sure to check out the poster and video pitch for Sheeran’s Ipswich Town shows below.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
