Ed Sheeran has announced that he will be taking an 18-month break from performing after finishing his mammoth world tour.
The singer revealed his plans for a hiatus at his homecoming show at Ipswich’s Chantry Park on Monday night after concluding his Divide tour, which was on the road for two years.
Having performed 280 shows since March 2017, including a headline slot at Glastonbury, Sheeran told the crowd: “As you may or may not know, I’ve been on the Divide tour for over two years now and this is the last day of the whole thing.
“There is something very bittersweet about it. I love that you guys are here and we are ending it in Ipswich. This is my last gig for probably 18 months.”
He continued: “I was told before I came on that I’ve played to nine million people around the world. It is the biggest tour ever. It’s been an emotional day for a lot of people backstage.”
The singer compared completing the tour to ”breaking up with a girlfriend that you’ve been with for years,” adding: ”It sounds odd but it has been a long tour.”
1/12 2008
Ed moves to London
2/12 2009
Ed Sheeran releases his EP You Need Me in 2009 including the song ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’, which would go onto become the second, Platinum single from his debut album +.
3/12 2010
In February 2010 Ed Sheeran toured with Example during which time they recorded the viral ‘Nando’s Skank’ and Sheeran released his Loose Change EP, which features his future debut single ‘The A Team’.
YouTube
4/12 2010
April 2010, he impresses Jamie Foxx after performing an open mic at his LA club The Foxxhole, receiving an invitation to stay at his house, record music and appear on his radio show
WireImage
5/12 2011
Ed Sheeran signed to Asylum/Atlantic Records and released his debut album + (Plus) in September 2011. It went to No.1 in the UK album charts and received positive reviews from critics.
6/12 2012
February 2012, Sheeran scoops two Brit awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act of the Year
Rex Features
7/12 2012
March 2012, he scores co-writing / writing gigs for Taylor Swift (“Everything Has Changed”) and One Direction on their second album, including “Little Things” – their second UK No.1 single
Getty
8/12 2012
2012-2013 he performs a headline tour of 6,000 – 9,000 capacity venues in the US
Rex Features
9/12 2013
February 2013 he does a duet performance of ‘The A Team’ with Elton John at the 55th Grammy Awards
Getty
10/12 2013
March – September 2013 Sheeran is booked as the opening act on Taylor Swift’s RED tour at arenas and stadiums around North America – his biggest shows to date
Getty
11/12 2013
October 2013, he headlines three sold-out shows at Madison Square Gardens in New York
Getty
12/12 2014
April 2014, ‘Sing’, the lead single from Sheeran’s second album x (Multiply) is released and earns him his first No.1 UK single
1/12 2008
Ed moves to London
2/12 2009
Ed Sheeran releases his EP You Need Me in 2009 including the song ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’, which would go onto become the second, Platinum single from his debut album +.
3/12 2010
In February 2010 Ed Sheeran toured with Example during which time they recorded the viral ‘Nando’s Skank’ and Sheeran released his Loose Change EP, which features his future debut single ‘The A Team’.
YouTube
4/12 2010
April 2010, he impresses Jamie Foxx after performing an open mic at his LA club The Foxxhole, receiving an invitation to stay at his house, record music and appear on his radio show
WireImage
5/12 2011
Ed Sheeran signed to Asylum/Atlantic Records and released his debut album + (Plus) in September 2011. It went to No.1 in the UK album charts and received positive reviews from critics.
6/12 2012
February 2012, Sheeran scoops two Brit awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act of the Year
Rex Features
7/12 2012
March 2012, he scores co-writing / writing gigs for Taylor Swift (“Everything Has Changed”) and One Direction on their second album, including “Little Things” – their second UK No.1 single
Getty
8/12 2012
2012-2013 he performs a headline tour of 6,000 – 9,000 capacity venues in the US
Rex Features
9/12 2013
February 2013 he does a duet performance of ‘The A Team’ with Elton John at the 55th Grammy Awards
Getty
10/12 2013
March – September 2013 Sheeran is booked as the opening act on Taylor Swift’s RED tour at arenas and stadiums around North America – his biggest shows to date
Getty
11/12 2013
October 2013, he headlines three sold-out shows at Madison Square Gardens in New York
Getty
12/12 2014
April 2014, ‘Sing’, the lead single from Sheeran’s second album x (Multiply) is released and earns him his first No.1 UK single
The Divide tour officially became the “biggest” ever after grossing more than $775.6m from 8.9m tickets sold around the world.
