Continuing the phenomenon of one man and an acoustic guitar wowing stadium crowds, Ed Sheeran has set a new attendance record for nib Stadium in Perth, playing to 32,000 fans on 3 December. The concert was set to the same stage configuration, facing across the pitch, as used by the…
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Ed Sheeran performs record-breaking South African shows
AEG Presents has promoted the biggest shows in South African history as Ed Sheeran’s ÷ tour continues to break ticket sales records worldwide
By Anna Grace on 08 Apr 2019
AEG Presents UK's Simon Jones
image © AEG
Ed Sheeran performed his first-ever headline shows in South Africa in March, breaking existing ticket sales records to put on the biggest concerts in South African history.
The AEG Presents-promoted shows sold 230,000 tickets across four dates, breaking the previous ticket sales record by 30,000.
The South African shows were part of Sheeran’s worldwide ÷ tour, which has consistently broken ticket sales records and ended 2018 as the highest-grossing tour of the last 30 years.
The British singer-songwriter performed two shows as at the 55,000-capacity Cape Town Stadium and two at Johannesburg’s 94,736-capacity First National Bank (FNB) Stadium.
Simon Jones, senior vice president of live music international at AEG Presents UK, promoted the shows in partnership with South Africa’s largest promoter, Live Nation-owned Big Concerts.
“With the South African stadium tour we were taking him [Ed Sheeran] to a new audience who hadn’t experienced him live and the appetite to come to the shows was enormous”
“Ed is an artist who makes universal and timeless music and that’s why he is a global phenomenon. With the South African stadium tour we were taking him to a new audience who hadn’t experienced him live and the appetite to come to the shows was enormous,” says Jones.
“The operation to ensure all Ed’s fans were able to enjoy the concerts in an extremely safe environment was huge. Along with our partners Big Concerts, the cooperation from all relevant government services to achieve this was fantastic and showed what a brilliant destination South Africa is for international touring artists.
“We are really proud to have worked on the shows with Ed and his team and to deliver something very special in a brand new territory,” comments Jones.
Sheeran’s tour has now travelled to Asia, last week kicking off in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The artist will play a full stadium and greenfield tour in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta).
These shows account for a further 350,000 ticket sales across the region.
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