Ed Sheeran is one of the most loved pop stars all over the world, having sold out stadiums everywhere with a combination of love songs and upbeat tracks that make audiences melt. As part of his Loop Tour, he toured Australia with three nights at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. Coincidentally, one of the dates fell upon Valentine’s Day and seeing Ed Sheeran on Valentine’s Day is somewhat of an ephemeral experience, akin to other events etched in cultural memory like the Ashes on Boxing Day or seeing the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square so it was not a surprise that the crowd at Accor Stadium was packed to the brim for Sheeran’s three-hour spectacular.

Before Sheeran hit the stage, the audience were treated to a set from Australian star Vance Joy, who performs (at least at a very high level of abstraction) in quite a similar style to Sheeran. He performed all his biggest hits, with “Fire in the Flood” being particularly well received, as well as, of course, his smash hit “Riptide”. He also played some new songs, which resonated quite well with the audience. The only slight misfire was a slightly bizarre cover of KISS’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You”, which simply did not suit his voice at all. Aside from that, it was a great curtain-raiser for Sheeran’s main act.

Sheeran is not the kind of artist that necessarily lends himself perfectly to a stadium show, with most of his act really just being him and his trusty loop pedal. Of course, due to his immense popularity, stadiums are the only viable option for his tour, which means that he has to make it work in some way. He did this by adding a huge amount of pyrotechnics to his show, with a seemingly endless array of fireworks and flames throughout the night, as well as the typical on-stage screens with visuals and narrative on them. But at its heart, this really was a show about Sheeran and his guitar.

Interestingly, the energy took a little while to build, with Sheeran commencing the set with the rap-adjacent “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”, before moving into the Bollywood-tinged “Sapphire” (complete with videos of Sheeran donning a Rajasthan Royals cricket shirt) and “Castle on the Hill”. With some beautiful narrative connecting the success of “The A Team”, his first hit, to Australia, he began performing a slightly wobbly version of the song as the audience was still building up a little. After some romantic fan-voted songs on the B-stage, the show really kicked up a notch when he brought out Beoga to perform with him for the mid part of the set.

For all that Sheeran has built himself on his loop pedal, it did seem like at the start of the show that a bit more texture would have benefitted the set and the energy and this really manifested when Beoga came up onto the stage. With the whole audience on their feet, a folk-inspired, lively version of “Galway Girl” was a clear turning point for the night. During this part of the set, Sheeran also played the bubbly “I Don’t Care”, before explaining how he found an old phone in the process of discovery for his litigation over potential copyright infringement a few years ago, which added a great deal of context and inspiration to the song “Old Phone”.

In one of the highlights of the night, he then performed “Heaven”, which he said his wife insisted that he add to his latest album. Clearly, this was an inspired move as this was one of the best moments of the night, with the fragility and beauty of Sheeran’s voice really coming through alongside his trademark songwriting. He finished this portion of the set with “Photograph”, which was a wonderful moment for all those celebrating Valentine’s Day in the audience.

Sheeran is a prolific songwriter and so it was a real treat to hear him mash up some of the songs he has written for other people to really show the depth and versatility of his work. Among the songs played were Anne-Marie’s “2002”, One Direction’s “Little Things”, and Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, all of which were played with trademark Ed Sheeran flourish.

Then it came time for the two songs that all of Valentine’s Day lovers were waiting for in “Thinking Out Loud” and “Perfect”, which Sheeran executed beautifully. It was quite remarkable as on the night multiple localised cheers could be heard from pockets of the crowd during these two songs, clearly amounting to proposals. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many proposals in such a short space of time, but of course, what better place to do so than at an Ed Sheeran concert on Valentine’s Day.

It was hard to top that high but Sheeran then performed a fantastic version of “I See Fire”, with Lord of the Rings imagery behind him as fire shot up from the stage. He closed out the night with “Shape of You”, “Sing”, and “Bad Habits”, which was an upbeat and exciting way to finish the night. 

Interestingly, unlike some other artists, it almost feels as though Sheeran is the soundtrack to people’s lives rather than a true headliner when compared to someone like Taylor Swift or Adele. By this, I mean that often when attending an Ed Sheeran concert, the personal significance of the music is more important for many than seeing the star himself. This is quite a unique phenomenon and one that was actually recognised by Sheeran himself, who took the time to recognise the special moments of which his songs have been the soundtrack. 

It does mean the fandom and engagement with Sheeran is slightly different at his shows, compared to something like the Eras Tour, where fandom is much more intense and concentrated. This isn’t to say that this makes it any worse or any better, it’s just a different experience. But it is an experience that Sheeran played into very well, showing off his musicality, whilst allowing the audience to take from the night whatever it meant to them. 

Overall, this was a beautiful night and a beautiful occasion, with Sheeran performing all of his biggest hits much to the delight of the capacity crowd. The show was definitely at its best when the full band was on stage, and hopefully this is something that Sheeran taps into more in his next tour. But the whole show was fantastic, with everything that you could ask from a stadium show. A great night out, and it will certainly be interesting to see what Sheeran does on his next tour and what he does as this tour evolves around the world.

Rating: ★★★★

Ed Sheeran – Accor Stadium – 14 February 2026

All photo credits: Mark Surridge