Ed Sheeran Owns Marvel Stadium & Mesmerises 60,000 Fans

Ed Sheeran mania had officially taken over Australia for the past month, with 3-4 stadium shows being played at each major city on his Loop Tour. It was a long time coming, but it was finally Melbourne’s turn. It was night two at Marvel Stadium, and unlike the beautiful evening the night one crowd experienced, this show was hot, humid and threatening thunderstorms. The roof was closed, trapping the heat inside, and we were about to feel every bit of it.

As we waited, the pink Loop Tour backdrop lit up the stage, complete with a QR code for fans to request songs for the setlist. I may have put my vote in, but you’ll see how that turned out. The venue was packed from the seats to the floor, with concert goers keen to brave getting as close to the stage as possible, all crammed together. The GA was split down the middle by barricades stretching toward a B-stage, and every inch of the stadium felt full. When the lights dimmed, an intro video played, telling Ed’s story, from busking on the streets to selling out huge stadiums. He explained the most important part of his performance, something that is unique to his shows, his loop pedal, which meant everything we’d hear tonight would be created live, right in front of us.

As the video ended, screams erupted as fans caught the first glimpse of him walking down the pit toward the B-stage. As he grabbed his guitar in hand, he started building the opening track, “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”, layer by layer which really just set the tone for the talent we were about to witness. Midway through the song , a bridge extended from the main stage to the B-stage, and he sprinted across it before launching into his rapid-fire rap verse. Next up was “Sapphire”, as he was lit by a beautiful blue backdrop and fireworks exploded as the chorus hit, taking the crowd by surprise. 

The heat inside the stadium was intense. Those of us in the seats were struggling, let alone the fans packed into the pit, and Ed himself, who didn’t even seem phased. However, I was thinking even a thunderstorm would have been welcome.

As the bridge rolled back out to the B-stage, it was time for the fan-voted songs. First came “Grade 8,” a deep cut from his debut album, even after years, I still remembered every word. Then came the moment I, and clearly many others, had hoped for, “Tenerife Sea” and it was somehow even more beautiful live. That was followed by “Visiting Hours,” an emotional tribute to Michael Gudinski, whose early support helped shape Ed’s Australian journey. “Give Me Love” had the entire stadium singing before he returned to the main stage and brought out Beoga, a band he had worked with for a couple of songs, and then launched into “Galway Girl.” It’s genuinely impossible to be in a bad mood at an Ed Sheeran concert, especially when that song starts, everyone is on their feet singing along.

Throughout the night, he constantly involved the crowd, calling for singalongs, clapping and arms swaying side to side and the fans were completely engaged in every second of it. An unforgettable moment during “Celestial,” when 60,000 people jumped in unison. He shared how the song, surprisingly to him, became a huge crowd moment in Europe, but didn’t quite land the same way back home in the UK. Melbourne understood the assignment and we hope we did him proud.

There was also a mashup of songs he’s written for other artists, including “Cold Water,” “Love Yourself,” and “Little Things,” reminding everyone of how many hits he is behind. “Thinking Out Loud” and “Perfect” were introduced with him explaining that these will always be on the setlist as he’s seen firsthand how much they matter to people, not by listening stats, but by how they’ve soundtracked many people’s biggest moments in life.

Returning to the main stage, he powered through “Symmetry,” “Bloodstream,” and “Afterglow.” He then ran off as if the night was over, leaving the crowd waiting, wondering if this was it, only to reappear moments later, having swapped his sweat-soaked shirt for his own pink Loop Tour football jersey, which honestly, was great advertising. With three songs left for the encore, there was no way we were leaving without “Shape of You” and an energetic performance of “Azizam.” He closed the night with a fiery performance of “Bad Habits,” complete with full-scale pyro and one final explosive burst of fireworks, sending the crowd home on an absolute high.

It takes incredible skill for one person to hold the attention of 60,000 people alone. No band to lean on, no backing track as a safety net,  just him, his guitar, and a loop pedal. I found myself pausing quite often to look around at the sea of people, with Ed a tiny figure on a massive stage, yet he was completely in control and it was captivating to watch. Compared to seeing him in New Zealand years ago, just him, a guitar, and basic graphics, this felt like a huge leap, the production is bigger now, but he’s not hiding behind it, he’s allowing it to elevate what he already does so well and completely owns the stage. Ed Sheeran really does come across as someone who is  genuinely down-to-earth, showing his fun, cheeky side on stage, while also happening to be one of the biggest artists in the world. It was one of those shows where you could completely immerse yourself, with so much happening at every moment. With a two and a half-hour set, twenty-nine songs, and a production to that scale, he truly gave the crowd more than they could have hoped for.