Ed Sheeran’s epic Mathematics tour finally lands in Australia and here’s the hits on the setlist

Superstar Ed Sheeran is taking his epic Mathematics tour to Sydney tonight. Here’s what fans can expect.

Kathy McCabe

@McCabeRadar

2 min read

February 24, 2023 - 10:30AM

News Corp Australia Network

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Superstar Ed Sheeran has flipped the concept of the stadium pop extravaganza again with his Mathematics tour.

While he has augmented his live shows with a band, the man with a guitar and a loop pedal array has challenged the limits of what one reigning stream king can do on a massive concert stage.

Sheeran’s Australian tour kicked off with three nights at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, before heading to Sydney for tonight’s concert, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Mathematics is the realisation of an epic stadium vision first concocted with his late mate and mentor Michael Gudinski as they did a record-breaking victory lap of Australia for the Divide tour here in 2018. That tour broke the one million tickets barrier.

Ed Sheeran rocks a stadium with an acoustic guitar. Picture: Zakary Walters / Supplied

Sheeran has already claimed the record for the biggest concert at the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground before he has even set foot on an Australian stage.

The Mathematics tour is one of the biggest concert productions to be built in an Australian stadium.

Its circular stage, wraparound screens, pyros, lasers and LED displays may dazzle the senses, soundtracked by Sheeran’s stacked setlist of hits, but his song choices are limited by the show’s design and technical logistics.

His MCG concert on March 2 will be heavy with emotion and celebration in honour of the second anniversary of Gudinski’s passing; the music mogul’s wife Sue, son Matt and daughter Kate will sharing that poignant moment with more than 100,000 fans.

The capacity for that concert is 105,000 people, with ticket sales on track to get close to that fullest house.

The ridiculously epic Mathematics production puts Ed Sheeran in the centre of all the action. Picture: Zakary Walters / Supplied

He has already added Visiting Hours, the song he wrote while stuck in quarantine in Melbourne so he could perform it at Gudinski’s memorial in Melbourne in March 2020, to the triumphant acoustic-guitar and crowd karaoke victory in the closing stanza of the concert he played in Auckland last weekend when his mammoth production was stalled by technical malfunction.

There were this many people there. Honest. Picture: Zakary Walters / Supplied.

And there’s always the T-shirt statements and in-between song patter this astute entertainer chooses for each show; Sheeran gets educated on the social justice issues not only of the city and country but day he is playing.

Fans with zero care factor about spoiler alerts already know what the evergreen, honorary Australian pop phenomenon will play.

For those who desire their concerts to retain that element of mystery, look away now.

Sheeran has also been relishing his down time on tour with him delighting students at three schools with “impromptu” visits to play the full houses in assembly halls.

It is also likely he may explore similarly joyful experiences during his visits to Australian cities and regional hubs.

All Ed Sheeran tour dates and ticketing details via https://www.frontiertouring.com/edsheeran

Ed Sheeran, Mathematics tour set list, February 11, Auckland, New Zealand.

Full Band

1. Tides

2. BLOW

Solo

3. I’m a Mess

4. Shivers

5. Castle on the Hill

6. The A Team

7. Don’t / No Diggity