Ed Sheeran’s MCG set list revealed

The music star has “surprises” planned as he pays tribute to Michael Gudinski and Shane Warne at his record-breaking MCG shows.

Superstar Ed Sheeran is set to pull out “a few surprises” for his emotional tributes to music boss Michael Gudinski and spin king Shane Warne at his mega-show at the MCG on Thursday night.

Gudinski, whom Sheeran regarded as a mate, mentor and father figure, passed away on March 1, 2021. Warne died on March 4 last year.

Sheeran is already playing Visiting Hours, which he penned as a tribute to Gudinski, in his show. Warne’s favourite Sheeran song Thinking Out Loud is also in the set.

Gudinski’s family, wife Sue, son Matt and daughter Kate are attending Sheeran’s show on Thursday. Warne’s children, Jackson, Summer and Brooke are also expected to attend the concert.

“Shane was an incredible human to me, and every single person he came across,” Sheeran said at Warne’s state memorial last year. “He gave so much of his time and energy and love. He was such a great bloke.”

Ed Sheeran with Michael Gudinski.

Matt Gudinski is the chief executive of the Mushroom Group. Its touring company, Frontier, is staging Sheeran’s concerts in Australia and New Zealand.

Asked for details on Sheeran’s planned tributes at his first Melbourne show, Matt Gudinski said: “There will be a few surprises om the night. Ed has been playing Visiting Hours at most of the shows. With Mushroom celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, we might see him make a bigger tribute at the (MCG) show. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Sheeran’s MCG shows will break the Australian record for the most tickets sold to a single concert.

Gudinski senior planted the seeds for an MCG show when he and Sheeran began discussing the next tour five years ago. Gudinski suggested Sheeran should play in the round, and vowed to stage him at the MCG.

“I remember being like, ‘Oh, I’ve never really played in the round and I don’t really wanna take a risk’,” Sheeran recalled.

Matt Gudinski said: “It will be very sad to do it, to achieve this (concert attendance) ­record without my dad here. There will be a tear, but also a smile and a memory of dad, and the fact he started the idea of Ed … playing in the round across the world. That only adds to the amazing legacy he built over his lifetime.”

Gudinski said Sheeran’s latest tour was “the biggest production to ever visit Australia..”

It needs 80 trucks to cart the stage, and associated bells and whistles, and four days to build.

“Ed’s show at the mighty MCG is going to be one of the best moments of my ­career, and one of the best shows we’ve ever seen on these shores,” he said.

The massive production includes a circular video screen over a revolving stage with six masts held in place by a cable net system

The 360 degree stage set-up consists of a central revolving stage surrounded by six 30 metre high masts. The masts supports 55 tonnes of equipment suspended above the stage, including speakers, lighting and a halo.

The halo, with a 21 metre diameter circular transparent LED screen, is suspended above the stage and performance area There are 18 chandeliers inside the halo, as well as pyro and fireworks, which start erupting two songs into the show.

Each mast has 7 hoops containing lighting fixtures and LED display panels for added visuals. Also suspended from each mast is a 6m wide and 8m tall double sided LED display screen in the shape of a plectrum.

Budjerah handpicked by Sheeran

It comes as Indigenous singer-songwriter Budjerah says he’s honoured to have been handpicked by Ed Sheeran to play a support slot at the British superstar’s mega-show at the MCG.

Budjerah, a Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation in NSW, has also collaborated with Sheeran on a remix of the song, 2-Step.

But the support lots have put Budjerah on the world’s biggest stage. Sheeran’s show will play to 100,000 people at the MCG on Thursday, and 107,000 on Friday.

Ed Sheeran is bringing his mega-show to the MCG. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It’s pretty insane,” Budjerah said.

“Me and my band are like, ‘Moly moley. How did we even get here? Every time we step into the stadium, it doesn’t make sense that I’m there.”

Budjerah said it’s hard to describe the scale of Sheeran’s show. “You see stadium shows on television and they look massive, but when actually you’re in it, it’s way bigger. I’m so honoured to be on the tour, and to play on Ed’s stage.”

Budjerah says it’s ‘pretty insane’ to be supporting Ed Sheeran. Picture: Mushroom Creative

He said the high-tech production underneath the stage is a maze of cameras and computers.

“Backstage, there’s lots of corridors and it’s easy to get lost,” Budjerah said. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone sitting still backstage. They’re all running around doing things. It’s like a small city.”

The late music boss Michael Gudinski was an early champion of Budjerah, and his talents. Gudinski booked the aspiring singer-songwriter to appear on the ABC-TV music show, The Sound, before Budjerah had a profile.

“I didn’t know many people in the music industry back then. But Michael was so kind and supportive,” Budjerah said. “I’m really honoured to say I’m a part of his legacy.”

Meanwhile, Budjerah has released a new single, Therapy. It was written by hitmaker Sarah Aarons, who has written songs for John Legend, Alessia Cara, and Zedd.