Ed Sheeran has broken yet another record after playing the biggest shows in South African history.
The 28-year-old singer sold 230,000 across four dates in March – two each at Cape Town Stadium and Johannesburg FNB Stadium – smashing the previous record by 30,000 tickets.
The shows were promoted by AEG Presents UK SVP live music international Simon Jones, in partnership with South Africa-based Big Concerts.
Ed is an artist who makes universal and timeless music and that's why he is a global phenomenon
Simon Jones
“Ed is an artist who makes universal and timeless music and that’s why he is a global phenomenon," said Jones. "With the South African stadium tour we were taking him to a new audience who hadn’t experienced him live and the appetite to come to the shows was enormous.
"The operation to ensure all Ed’s fans were able to enjoy the concerts in an extremely safe environment was huge. Along with our partners Big Concerts the co-operation from all relevant government services to achieve this was fantastic and showed what a brilliant destination South Africa is for international touring artists. We are really proud to have worked on the shows with Ed and his team and to deliver something very special in a brand new territory."
Sheeran's ÷ world tour set the all-time touring record for a calendar year after grossing $432 million (£341m) in 2018 alone. His tour continues in to Asia where he will play a full stadium and greenfield tour in Taoyuan, Tokyo, Osaka, Kuala Kumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta, all promoted by AEG Presents. The shows account for a further 350,000 tickets being sold across the region.
The ÷ tour returns to the UK in August for special "homecoming" open-air dates at Roundhay Park in Leeds and Ipswich's Chantry Park, presented by Kilimanjaro Live, DHP Family and Leeds-based Futuresound.
Released in 2017, Sheeran's third album ÷ is certified 10x platinum by the BPI with current sales of 3,282,987, according to the Official Charts Company.
