Bengaluru cheers as Ed Sheeran brings the house down on his 2025 India tour

“This is the best crowd on the tour so far. The energy is nuts!”

English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on Saturday welcomed Bengaluru to his + - = ÷ x Mathematics Tour, charming the crowd with a performance of his song I’m a Mess.

Sheeran is currently on a six-city tour of India, with performances in Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Shillong, and New Delhi. This was the Galway Girl singer’s first show in Bengaluru, and due to high demand, an additional performance was added for February 9, Sunday.

“I’ve only ever played in Mumbai… I came here to India for the first time 10 years ago. My plan was always to play in more cities. And every time I came back, they always told me, ‘You can’t do that yet.’ But this time, I put my foot down, and I said, ‘I am not gonna play in Mumbai, and I’ll play everywhere else,” Sheeran told the over 26,000 audience who had gathered at Nice Grounds in Bengaluru to watch him sing.  

Sheeran—sporting a T-shirt that read ‘Bengaluru’—kicked off the evening with his upbeat Castle on the Hill song, setting the perfect vibe and sparking an eruption of cheers from the crowd.

The singer then introduced his “loop station” on stage, explaining to the audience how each sound is created live, layered in real-time, and erased once the show ends, making each city's performance a unique experience.

“Everything you hear tonight is completely live. There is no backing track whatsoever. It’s made live on the spot. The way it works is that I record something, and I control it. And when it ends, I delete it, and it won’t be the same way tomorrow,” Sheeran said before he sang another of his hit songs, Shivers.

Sheeran’s incredible stage presence and connection with the audience only intensified as the night unfolded. While hits like Photograph, Happier, and Afterglow had the crowd buzzing, it was the fan favourite Perfect that truly set the tone for the night, as fans sang the lyrics so passionately that they outdid Sheeran himself, creating an unforgettable moment of pure excitement.

It was also the “Perfect” celebration for couples celebrating Valentine’s Day!

As the night progressed, Sheeran’s iconic stripped-back performance continued to captivate. With just his guitar, the simplicity of his set let his raw talent take centre stage, proving just how powerful music can be when it’s reduced to its purest form.

The almost two-hour concert ended with Sheeran performing hits like You Need Me, I Don’t Need You and Bad Habits, getting the crowd dancing well into the Saturday night.

Before Sheeran took the stage, the opening act featured an electrifying performance by Mali aka Maalvika Manoj, who captivated the audience with songs like Semi Automatic Butane, Mango Showers, and Anniku Raatri—mesmerising the crowd with a stunning set building the perfect anticipation for Sheeran’s performance.

Infrastructure can get better

Concerts in India have garnered both good and bad reviews. The recently concluded Coldplay’s Music of the Sphere Tour in Mumbai and Ahmedabad and Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour showed the immense appetite the Indian audience has for live concerts.

However, logistics remain key for such large multi-day, multi-venue gatherings. Basic amenities like toilets, garbage bins, and water cooler stands remain imperative, and when it comes to India, add parking management to the list as well.

Bengaluru’s Nice Grounds remains a favourite for concerts in the city. Although quite far from the main city, the venue is connected by the Madavara metro station, making it an easy choice for fans to reach the venue and beat the tiring Bengaluru traffic. In case you still want to take your personal vehicle out, Nice Grounds also has ample parking space.

Toilets at the venue also seemed clean—given the fact that there were porta-potties and not permanent structures. However, the ground remained littered post-concert, with many housekeeping personnel clearing the area before the next concert.

Food and drinks counters, however, were few and immensely crowded, making it difficult for fans to purchase refreshments faster and get back to viewing the concert.

While there is a long way to go to make such large-scale events more sustainable, it is a good start.

Meanwhile, Sheeran—out and about in Church Street—had to stop his impromptu performance of Shape of You on the sidewalk after it attracted a crowd. Bengaluru Police intervened, stopping the performance citing the singer and his team allegedly did not have proper permission to play. However, the singer clarified on an Instagram story that they had permission to busk in the area.

After performing his last gig in Bengaluru, the singer now heads to Shillong and Delhi to complete his India tour.

(The copy was updated with additional information)