Ed Sheeran is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in the world today. His concerts routinely sell out stadiums and arenas around the globe. But just how long are Ed Sheeran’s concerts? Let’s take a look at some key details.
Typical Set Length
For his own headlining concerts and tours, Ed Sheeran’s sets typically last between 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours 15 minutes. This includes an opening act, which is usually around 45 minutes long, and a 15 minute intermission between the opener and Ed’s set.
So for the main Ed Sheeran concert portion, fans can expect to enjoy between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes of Ed performing. This allows him to play around 20-25 songs during the show.
Factors Affecting Length
Several factors account for any variations in the length of Ed’s concerts:
Venue Size and Type
Smaller, more intimate venues tend to have shorter sets than huge stadium shows. Ed may play for only 60-90 minutes at a small theater. But at a big outdoor festival or arena, he’ll often go for the full 2 hour stadium spectacular.
Tour Type
Headlining tours where Ed is the main act result in longer shows than when Ed is performing as an opening act or at a festival.
- Headlining Tour: 1 hr 45 min to 2 hr 15 min
- Opening Act: 45 to 60 minutes
- Festival Set: 60 to 90 minutes
Special Shows
For TV performances, award shows, or other special concerts, the set length may be shortened to fit the specific event. So Ed may only perform 3-5 songs at a TV gig versus 20+ songs at his own solo concert.
Setlists by Tour
To give a more specific idea of the show duration, here is a breakdown of average set times from Ed Sheeran’s recent major concert tours:
Tour | Year(s) | Average Set Length |
---|---|---|
Multiply Tour | 2017 | 1 hr 45 min |
Divide Tour | 2018 | 2 hr 10 min |
÷ Tour | 2019 | 1 hr 50 min |
The Divide Tour shows were longer mainly due to Ed playing massive stadiums and adding improvised segments during shows on that tour. But regardless of tour, Ed aims to give fans an energetic set packed with hits and surprises.
Setlist Contents
As for the setlist contents, Ed Sheeran’s concerts typically include:
- A wide range of hits spanning his entire discography
- Older fan favorites and newer chart hits
- Solo acoustic performances
- Collaborations and duets if surprise guests join
- Covers of songs by other artists
He often rearranges and remixes his own songs to keep things fresh for both himself and fans on each tour. Audiences can count on hearing Ed’s most popular tracks like “Shape of You”, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Perfect”, and “Photograph” on every setlist.
Sample Setlist
Here is an example setlist from a 2018 show in Leeds on Ed’s Divide Tour:
- Castle on the Hill
- Eraser
- The A Team
- Don’t / New Man
- Dive
- Bloodstream
- Happier
- Galway Girl
- I’m a Mess
- Photograph
- BLOW / Perfect
- Nancy Mulligan
- Thinking Out Loud
- ENCORE: Shape of You / You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
- ENCORE 2: Sing
This gives a great sampling of old and new songs mixed with some of Ed’s biggest smash hits. And he’ll often switch up the setlist order and substitute different songs in and out of various tour stops.
Opening Acts
The opening act at Ed Sheeran concerts also affects the total length of the live show experience. He has some frequent openers he tours with, most often folk pop artists or singer-songwriters that match his style well. Some examples of common Ed Sheeran opening acts include:
- Anne-Marie
- Passenger
- Jamie Lawson
- Lauv
- Snow Patrol
- Zara Larsson
- The Darkness
- Khalid
- Stormzy
The opening set usually lasts 45-60 minutes to get the crowd warmed up for Ed. Some stadium shows may have two openers, extending the start time by another half hour or so before Ed hits the stage.
Timing Breakdown
Adding up the typical set times for Ed Sheeran concerts gives this approximate timing breakdown:
- Opening Act: 45 to 60 minutes
- Intermission: 15 minutes
- Ed Sheeran Set: 90 to 120 minutes
- Total Concert: 2 to 2.5 hours
So fans can plan on being at the venue for roughly 2-2.5 hours from start to finish. Of course, exit times will vary by venue so the total time could be a bit longer.
How Concert Length Has Changed
Ed Sheeran’s concerts weren’t always the full arena spectacles they are today. Early on, his shows were lower budget with Ed simply performing solo on stage with his guitar and loop pedal.
Here’s a look at how Ed Sheeran concert set lengths have evolved over his career so far:
Year | Tour | Avg Set Length |
---|---|---|
2010 | Loose Change Tour | 30 – 45 min |
2012 | One Take Tour | 45 – 60 min |
2012-13 | The A Team Tour | 60 – 75 min |
2014 | x Tour | 75 – 90 min |
2015 | x Tour | 90 – 120 min |
2017 – Present | Headlining Tours | 120 – 150 min |
As you can see, Ed’s sets gradually increased from only 30-45 minutes in his very early days up to the full production arena concerts lasting well over 2 hours today.
His current shows feature advanced lighting, pyrotechnics, and multimedia displays. He’s come a long way from performing solo with just a loop pedal and guitar in tiny clubs.
Why Ed’s Concerts Are Longer Now
There are several reasons why Ed Sheeran’s concerts have gotten longer over his career:
- More Songs and Albums – Early on Ed only had his EP’s and debut album to play. Now with four full albums he has a much bigger catalog and more hits to choose from.
- Bigger Production – His early tours were simple with just Ed and maybe 1-2 backing musicians. Now he has elaborate stage design and lighting that require more time to showcase.
- Rise to Fame – As Ed has become one of the biggest artists in the world, fans expect a full-scale production befitting his stardom.
- Bigger Venues – Ed frequently sells out football stadiums today rather than small clubs when he was first starting out. Bigger venues allow for longer shows.
Overall, as his popularity grew exponentially, he started playing bigger venues and could deliver a more robust production. His concerts transformed along with his rise to fame into the breathtaking arena spectacles fans know and love today.
Value for Fans
While 2+ hours may seem like a long concert, Ed Sheeran strives to provide an incredible value and experience for fans with his marathon performances. Those lucky enough to score tickets are treated to a massive show overflowing with passion and energy from an artist at the peak of his career.
For the cost of admission, attendees get a concert extravaganza full of costume changes, special effects, and audio/visual flare. Not to mention 20-30 smash hits and future classics belted passionately by one of music’s greatest showmen.
Ed remarked of his concerts:
“I want to give people value for money when they come see me. I want people leaving thinking ‘That was amazing, I definitely got my money’s worth.'”
Based on the exhausted but euphoric faces of fans leaving his marathon concerts, Ed delivers on that goal in spades.
Highest Grossing Tours
Ed Sheeran’s lengthy, elaborate concerts translate into major box office success. Each of his last three major tours ranks among the highest-grossing of all time:
Tour | Total Gross | Attendance | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Divide Tour | $432 million | 4.8 million | 2017-19 |
Multply Tour | $119 million | 2 million | 2017 |
x Tour | $64 million | 1 million | 2014-15 |
The Divide Tour ranks as the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing even behemoth world tours by U2, The Rolling Stones, and Coldplay. Fans certainly feel they get their money’s worth from Ed’s marathon performances.
What About Future Tours?
Fans are already eager to know – how long will Ed Sheeran’s concerts be for his next tour? While details remain scarce, he has hinted that his next outing may feature “one big show, lots of bells and whistles.”
Based on that comment, we can likely expect his future concerts to be at least 2 hours if not longer. Big stadium spectacles could potentially push closer to 2 hours 30 minutes from start to finish.
No matter what the exact length, Ed Sheeran’s next tour is sure to deliver breathtaking music and production value at every stop. The artist remains committed to providing an epic experience that rewards devoted fans with huge value and memories that last a lifetime.
Conclusion
To summarize, the total concert experience at Ed Sheeran shows these days spans about 2-2.5 hours. His own solo set typically runs between 90-120 minutes packed with smash hits, fan favorites, collabs, covers, and more.
Of course, set lengths can vary slightly by venue and tour production. But the passion and energy Ed pours into every performance for his joyous crowds remains a constant. After a decade thrilling fans globally, he continues raising the bar even higher for an unmatched live concert experience.