Ed Sheeran surprised fans with an unforgettable live performance on Saturday at the Big Weekend UK music festival. Taking to the New Music Stage, the “Thinking Out Loud” singer showcased his signature loop station technique, building each song layer by layer without using any backing tracks, creating a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
The set opened with an energetic rendition of “Castle On the Hill” and included fan favorites such as “Perfect,” “The A Team,” and “Shape of You.” Sheeran greeted the crowd at Sefton Park with a smile, saying, “I’m glad you turned up. I know this was a secret.” He added playfully, “I’m gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; if you don’t know, it’s gonna be a long hour for you.”
The Grammy-winning artist emphasized the uniqueness of his performance by explaining his loop station setup: “Everything you hear today is completely live. There’s no backing track whatsoever.” He described how he creates layers during the show, saying, “The way that it works is you press record like this, and when you press play, it plays back and loops, and you can add layers on top of it.”
During his performance of his latest single, “Azizam,” Ed had to restart his loop recording, joking with the audience, “I’m going to have to do this again. This is how you know it’s live. One more time.”
Saturday’s Big Weekend lineup featured other notable artists, including Sam Fender, Sugababes, Tom Odell, Blossoms, Jade, Mumford & Sons, Haim, Wet Leg, and Tate McRae, making it a memorable day of live music.
Ed Sheeran’s innovative live set was praised by fans and critics alike, showcasing his talent not only as a singer and songwriter but also as a master of live performance technique.
