January 28, 2025
THIMPHU – On January 24, Ed Sheeran took the stage at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, greeted by loud cheers from the crowd.
Despite the cold evening, the atmosphere was electric as he began his performance with ‘Castle on the Hill,’ a song from his Mathematics album.
The audience, glowing in the light of their phone screens, sang along enthusiastically to every word.
After the song, he shared his excitement, saying, “To be able to visit a country like Bhutan and stand on this stage is incredible. I remember playing to an empty room, and now I get to perform the first international concert in Bhutan—ever.”
He added, “I’ve been all around the world and seen amazing places, but I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Edward Christopher Sheeran, 33, popularly known as Teddy, was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.
Fans started gathering as early as 1pm, eagerly waiting for the gates to open at 2pm. As the evening progressed, the seats began to fill gradually.
Although the concert started slightly late, the fans waited patiently, their excitement building for Ed Sheeran to perform Shape of You.
Seven-year-old Ugyen Namdrel Dorji was so excited that he could hardly sleep the night before.
“He was excited and captivated by the idea of seeing Ed Sheeran live,” said his father, Sarman Moktan.
During the concert, Ugyen’s excitement reached new heights.
“I even offered to take him (his son) home halfway through, but he refused, insisting on staying until the very end,” Sarman Moktan said.
For Sarman, the whole experience felt surreal. “I never thought I’d see an international artist like Ed Sheeran perform live in Bhutan. It was a truly unforgettable night.”
He added: “I even left my daughter and wife at home, because I couldn’t miss the concert.” Tenzin, another concert-goer, shared how excited she was for the event. “I found it hard to focus at work. I even started getting ready during office hours.”
Tenzin described the experience as surreal.
“It felt like I was in another country,” she said. “But when Ed Sheeran wore the Bhutan t-shirt, it brought me back to reality and reminded me that I was in Bhutan.”
Another concert-goer said that seeing Ed Sheeran perform live felt like a dream come true, especially after only experiencing his music through videos.
The fan shared that he had always hoped to see an international artist like Ed Sheeran perform in Bhutan.
Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour, launched in 2022, has already played over 134 sold-out shows worldwide. Fans were treated to a setlist filled with his timeless hits, including chart-toppers like The A Team and Shape of You.
The lights suddenly went out, plunging the arena into darkness. A hush fell over the crowd, and moments later; fans erupted with excitement, shouting for Shape of You.
Ed Sheeran appeared on stage, no longer in his black t-shirt but wearing one featuring the Bhutanese flag. The crowd cheered wildly as he sang Shape of You.
After his final song, he thanked the audience and those behind the scenes for making the concert possible.
In an Instagram post, he wrote: “Had the honour to be the first ever international artist to play in Bhutan last night. What a gig, what a country, what a beautiful place with incredible people. Let me know if I can move there, please and thank you. Also, thank you so much for welcoming me and my touring crew, and for every volunteer who helped put on such a historic show. Hopefully, I’ll see you again soon.”
In one of his Instagram videos, he shared: “I went for dinner with the King and Queen yesterday and they said, ‘We just want people coming to the country who want to love and respect the country and understand the ideals.’’’
For the concert, Ed Sheeran brought his state-of-the-art production equipment, while local Bhutanese teams handled the setup and logistics.
Ed Sheeran has the most Spotify followers of any artist in the world, with 10 million more than his good friend and closest competitor, Taylor Swift. He has been the most played artist in the UK for six out of the last eight years.
His debut album, + (Plus), was the UK’s third best-selling album of 2012, according to The Guardian.
The 2025 Mathematics Tour will continue in countries including India (Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Shillong, and Delhi), Qatar (Doha), and Bahrain (Sakhir).