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Ed Sheeran’s upcoming stadium concert in Jakarta, Indonesia has been relocated just two weeks ahead of the show.
The + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour had been set to grace the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium on 2 March, but will now switch to Jakarta International Stadium (JIS). All tickets remain valid.
Organisers PK Entertainment, AEG Presents Asia and Sound Rhythm say the decision has been taken as a result of Indonesia’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier with Vietnam at the GBK on 21 March.
“We recognise the importance of the Indonesia national football team’s matches, especially when we are hosting. Our support aligns with the government’s goal to advance national sports,” PK co-founder and COO Harry Sudarma tells the Jakarta Globe.
“We also believe that JIS, as the largest international-standard football stadium in Indonesia, can provide an unforgettable experience for Ed Sheeran’s fans. Our team is currently working closely with JIS to ensure a smooth and enjoyable concert experience for all fans in Jakarta.”
“We need to make special preparations to keep the venue in prime condition”
Voi reports there had been controversy in the past when the national football team was forced to move venues due to concerts by One Direction and Coldplay at GBK, while two nights by Blackpink last March also caused concern as a result of “the damaged and alarming condition of GBK grass” in the aftermath.
“The GBK Main Stadium will be the location of the match between the Indonesian national team and Vietnam,” says GBK director Rakhmadi A Kusumo. “We need to make special preparations to keep the venue in prime condition.”
The promoters are working alongside JIS and several partners “to provide additional parking spots, shuttle buses with a few pick-up and drop-off points, as well as motorbike taxis and ride-hailing services” for the relocated show.
Sheeran, who is several shows into his AEG-promoted + – = ÷ x Asia tour, set another record last week with his sold-out show at Singapore National Stadium. The 16 February concert broke the venue’s all-time capacity record after attracting 59,000 people.
The singer-songwriter also has further shows in The Philippines and India scheduled before the Asian leg of the tour wraps up in mid-March.
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Singaporean singer JJ Lin will perform an additional date at the country’s National Stadium after all 30,000 tickets to his 21 December show were snapped up in under two hours.
Following a Mastercard presale on Thursday 29 August, tickets went on general sale at 10am local time this morning (Friday 30 August) and sold out in an hour and a half, according to promoter Unusual Entertainment.
December marks the first performances at the National Stadium, the city-state’s largest concert venue, for Lin, although he sold out the Singapore Indoor Stadium (12,000-cap.) last year, writes the Straits Times.
Lin’s Sanctuary 2.0 stadium tour kicked off in Hangzhou, China, in March.
Lin, who released his debut album, Music Voyager, in 2003, is one of Singapore’s most popular singers and foremost exponent of Mandopop, or Mandarin pop music (a subset of wider Chinese, or ‘C’, pop).
Lin’s Sanctuary 2.0 stadium tour kicked off in Hangzhou in March
While C-pop is growing in popularity outside east Asia, it hasn’t yet made the same impact in the western world as K-pop, from neighbouring South Korea, and its poster boys BTS. According to the SCMP, the reason for this is “simple”: unlike the smaller Korean market, “China doesn’t have any financial need to take C-pop global. As the world’s most populous country with the second-largest economy, China also has a self-sustaining entertainment industry.”
In addition to Lin, upcoming shows for Singapore-based Unusual, part of the mm2 group, include Andy Lau, Kang Daniel and the Walking with Dinosaurs expo.
The company floated on the Singapore Exchange market in early 2017, delivering a 118% return on investment to shareholders, and has largely held its value since – at press time its market cap was S$283 million, compared to C$280m (US$200m) in 2017.
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