Ed Sheeran’s world tour blasts off in Auckland

The vibrant tones of his Indian-inspired love song 'Sapphire' heralded fire and light as Ed Sheeran's global Loop Tour kicked off.

It's named after the loop pedal - a nod to Sheeran's gratitude to a performer who introduced him to the musical device as a teen on his way to fame.

This is just one of a few laid-back, heartfelt anecdotes he shares, including playing in empty bars and almost giving up before his star finally soared.

If you know anything about Ed Sheeran, it's probably that he's a nice guy with ginger hair. If you know a second thing, it's that he's sold a lot of records. It's worth just pausing to spell out how many.

Outstreaming all but Taylor Swift and Drake in the 2010s, Sheeran not surprisingly clocked up a collection of record-breaking sales, streams, number ones and top 10s in the process. By 2021, 'Shape of You' had become Spotify's first song to hit three billion listens.

So, peak megastardom. But here's the thing - you'd not suspect Sheeran knows that he is that superstar.

He confesses to the audience that he was nervous before last night’s opening concert. Here’s an artist who even apologises to the crowd for any teething problems in the evening’s entertainment, though you’d have to squint to see any

The fans know they're lucky that Auckland got this premiere billing on Sheeran's 2026 world tour. Who wants to see someone who's already played the same 30 songs for a year?

There was freshness and energy too in the support acts who got the show on the road: Australian singer-songwriters Vance Joy (best known for his 2013 hit 'Riptide') and Mia Wray, and Irish band Biird.

These performers are great choices, but we all know who we're here for, and Sheeran doesn't disappoint. Between fan favourites like 'Shivers', 'Supermarket Flowers' and 'Perfect', he has a lot of hits. When you have that many successes, what do you leave out?

If Sheeran ever does tire of making millions from music, he could also try his hand at stand-up.

There's the (apparently true) dead-chicken-in-his-house story behind 'Little Bird'. And 'Old Phone', based partly on an unfinished text argument with a former girlfriend that he found on a long-forgotten mobile.

"In hindsight," he said of his ex, "you did have a point".

Accidentally, Sheeran got huge laughs when he thanked everyone who turned up, including those who came on trains. (It's quite a sore point in Auckland, Ed.)

Although every artist says nice things about the place they're playing, you can tell the Brit has a special place in his heart for New Zealand - "a deep, deep love", as he says, for the country where he chose to prepare himself for and open his new tour.

"Couldn't think of a better place to spend a month of my life," he says, and he's not wrong.

As Sheeran performed, the stage set was lively, which you need when the entertainment is one man on a guitar and occasionally a keyboard.

An arched retractable bridge moved the singer between the main and the centrestage, and a fire-and light-show, together with Irish folk band Beoga joining him for seven songs in the middle of the set, all lit up the stadium. He had audience requests via texts and played five of them.

Even if you weren't particularly a fan of his music, there was a lot still to enjoy. You may have even found yourself jumping around to the setlist bulging with instantly recognisable tunes.

Ticketek says Sheeran's already sold more than three million tickets for the New Zealand and Australia legs of the Loop Tour, which puts him on track to compete with Taylor Swift's Eras tour and Coldplay‘s unfinished Music of the Spheres tour for the most seats ever sold.

It’s clear plenty of blood, sweat and tears have gone into the rollercoaster Loop. Sheeran is still on a roll.

Last night, he signed off with hits like 'Azizan' and 'Bad Habits', and then the tour premiere was complete. After a "See you tomorrow, Auckland", the everyman superstar was gone. Epic.