On a perfect autumn night, a 50,000 strong crowd were in attendance for The Loop tour by Ed Sheeran. Ed previously played in 2023 at Adelaide Oval with a very different stage set up. With this tour, he promised those in attendance that he wanted to demonstrate his roots of being able to loop music and speaking of roots, he said he would never forget his roots of playing in pubs to no one and hence explains why he is so grounded and down to earth and so popular to millions of fans worldwide.
What was evident from the crowd demographic was how many kids were in attendance. Which will probably explain why many kids were missing from school today.
While most concerts may end with fireworks, this concert got underway in a huge way with fireworks on display amongst a stunning sunset backdrop. Ed opened the concert on a second stage in the middle of the stadium. The opening song was You Need Me, I Don’t Need You. Halfway through this song, engineering genius was on display with an extendable bridge unfolding across to the second stage allowing Ed to run over to the main stage above many heads.
During the concert, he would have chats to the crowd like he did before the “Castle on the hill” song where he chatted about his upbringing in Framlingham, Suffolk, and that feeling you get when you head home. He also went on to discuss why the current tour was called The Loop tour which was due to his time as a teenager, and watching a band and the guy opening, Gary Dunne was using a loop pedal. He taught me how to use one, and since then I’ve been using a loop pedal… this is dedicated to those moments.”
An Irish flavour was also brought into the concert with Beoga joining him on stage for Galway Girl and I Don’t Care. He also dedicated a song to his late friend Jamal with two of my favorite songs, ‘Old Phone‘ and ‘Camera’.
A fun nostalgic touch was added with Ed Sheeran doing mashups of Eastside / 2002 / Cold Water / Little Things / Love Yourself. Maybe more of a hit with the mums in the crowds rather than the kids.
You couldn’t ask for a better encore with the two-and-a-half-hour concert being rounded out by Shape of You, Azizam, and Bad Habits which brought the end to the concert in a spectacular way with a massive fireworks display. It also brought his New Zealand and Australian tour to an end. Time for a well earnt two month break awaits for Ed Sheeran to enjoy with his family and cats.
Review by Tony Polese
Set list for Adelaide on March 6, 2026
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
Sapphire
Castle on the Hill
The A Team
Shivers
Don’t
Eyes Closed
Sing
I’m a Mess
Visiting Hours
Give Me Love
Galway Girl
Nancy Mulligan
I Don’t Care
Old Phone
Camera
Celestial
Photograph
Eastside / 2002 / Cold Water / Little Things / Love Yourself
Thinking Out Loud
Perfect
I See Fire
Symmetry
Bloodstream
Afterglow
Shape of You
Azizam
Bad Habits
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