Ed Sheeran – ÷ x Tour

Thirteen years old, a bedroom in Suffolk, and a guitar he taught himself to play.

At just thirteen years old, Ed Sheeran began recording music in his bedroom in Framlingham, Suffolk. Influenced by Damien Rice, Eminem and Van Morrison, he taught himself guitar and started performing at small venues around the county. By 2005, he had self-released his first collection of songs, 'Spinning Man'. The raw ambition was already there; the world just hadn't caught up yet.

From busking on street corners to a number-one debut; the trajectory was, by any measure, extraordinary.

After years of independent releases and relentless touring, including a pivotal move to Los Angeles in 2010 where he caught the attention of Jamie Foxx, Sheeran signed with Asylum Records. His debut album '+' (Plus) arrived in September 2011 and went straight to number one in the UK. 'The A Team', his debut single, earned him an Ivor Novello Award and a Grammy nomination. The busker had become a chart-topper.

A million copies sold in a single week; the world had made up its mind.

His second album '×' (Multiply) debuted at number one in both the UK and the US, selling over a million copies in its first week worldwide. 'Sing', produced with Pharrell Williams, signalled a shift towards a bigger, more confident sound. 'Thinking Out Loud' became one of the most-played songs in Spotify history and won him two Grammy Awards in 2016, including Song of the Year.

240,000 people, three nights, one guitar. Wembley has rarely felt so intimate.

In July 2015, Sheeran played three consecutive sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium as part of his x Tour, performing to over 240,000 people. No band. No backing dancers. Just one man, a loop pedal and an acoustic guitar filling an 80,000-capacity venue. It was a feat that redefined what a solo performer could achieve on the biggest stages in the world.

Three billion Spotify streams; one artist, one record, one very quiet year beforehand.

After a year-long social media hiatus, Sheeran returned with '÷' (Divide) in March 2017. 'Shape of You' and 'Castle on the Hill' were released simultaneously and occupied the top two spots on the UK Singles Chart. 'Shape of You' went on to become the most-streamed song on Spotify at the time, surpassing 3 billion plays. The album sold 672,000 copies in its first week in the UK alone.

Over 8.9 million tickets sold; a lad once busking to near-empty pubs had quietly broken every record in the book.

The ÷ Tour ran from March 2017 to August 2019, spanning 255 shows across every inhabited continent. It grossed over $776 million, overtaking U2's 360° Tour to become the highest-grossing concert tour in history at the time. Over 8.9 million tickets were sold. For a performer who started out playing to handfuls of people in pubs, the scale was staggering.

Four consecutive UK number ones without a single stumble; the mathematician's streak holds.

Released in October 2021, '=' (Equals) debuted at number one in over 20 countries. 'Bad Habits', with its synth-driven production, showed Sheeran was still willing to push into new territory. The album dealt with fatherhood, grief and personal growth, reflecting a more mature songwriter. It earned him his fourth consecutive UK number one album, a run unbroken since his debut.

188 shows across five continents; a plus-sign stage built for a world that simply could not get enough.

Beginning in Dublin in April 2022, the +−=÷× (Mathematics) Tour became another colossal undertaking. The production featured a stage shaped like a plus sign, with Sheeran performing in the round to maximise intimacy despite the stadium setting. The tour visited Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania and South America, with 188 shows scheduled through to September 2025.

Five consecutive number ones; the maths was always going to add up.

Released in May 2023, '−' (Subtract) was Sheeran's most personal record. Written in the wake of his best friend Jamal Edwards' death and a copyright trial, the album stripped back the production to its rawest form. It debuted at number one in the UK, making it five consecutive chart-topping albums. The mathematical series that began with '+' in 2011 was now complete.