'I forgot how mental an Irish crowd could be' - Ed Sheeran kicks off world tour at Croke Park
Ed Sheeran performing at Croke Park Stadium Dublin this evening as he kicks off his much-anticipated Mathematics tour across the country.
Itâs been four years since Ed Sheeran last took the stage in the Emerald Isle and no one, it seems, was more excited for the Mathematics Tour than the star himself.
âI havenât done this in such a long time. Iâm going to keep saying this but I am so happy to be here,â Sheeran told a packed crowd at Croke Park on Saturday night.
âI havenât played this venue in seven years. I forgot how mental an Irish crowd could be.Â
Over 160,000 people were expected to attend Sheeranâs sold out gigs in Dublin this weekend.Â
The sun shone down as the first half of them filtered into Croker on Saturday, excited for the first full-capacity gig in the stadium since 2019.
The stage offered 360 degree views of the action, with guitar pick shaped screens hanging above for those further back in the stands.
Following an extended countdown, those up close managed to catch a glimpse of the man of the moment before the screens rose above him.
It was clear from the beginning that this show would be more flashy than Sheeranâs previous gigs, complete with a band, rotating stage, and flames.
"I wanted to try something different because I feel like Iâve used a loop pedal for the last 15 years,â he explained.Â
âBut donât worry weâre going to get back to the pedal now. Everything you hear tonight is completely live.âÂ
Mathematics will see the British singer perform a total of ten concerts across Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Belfast as he embarks on a year long world trip.
With his paternal roots tracing back to Wexford and Belfast, the decision to kick it all off in Ireland was a natural one.
âI sold out my first show in Ireland in 2011 and Iâve been here a bunch of times,â Sheeran told the crowd.
âFour times a year as a kid and then I busked in Galway. Iâve played Vicar Street, and then the Olympia and then the 3 Arena and every time the crowds get more mental.âÂ
Soon after, every torch in the stadium lit up whilst Sheeran belted out his first big hit, The A Team.
As its title suggests, the tour is based on an amalgamation of Sheeranâs albums, which are all named after mathematical symbols. Kicking off with a number of new hits from his 2021 album Equals, Sheeran quickly moved on to old favourites, including Castle On The Hill, You Need Me, I Donât Need You and, of course, Galway Girl.
The crowd jumped along to every single one of them, as Sheeran commanded the entire stadium, most of the time with nothing but a loop pedal and guitar.Â
As always, it was in the quieter moments that he really shone. Diehards hollered as the first picks of âBloodstreamâ started off, while a mash up of Donât/No Diggity was also welcomed by particularly loud cheers.
There were tears, countless screams, and thousands of smiles throughout the two hour performance.Â
To be fair, the atmosphere had been building since 4pm, with equally impressive performances from opening acts Denise Chaila and Maisie Peters. Chaila held the crowd in her own right, raising spirits early on with her captivating vocals and energetic band.
âMy name is Denise Chaila and I am from a county called Limerick,â she said halfway through her performance, brandishing a signed Limerick GAA jersey from her back pocket.
âIf you take anything from tonight, itâs to love where youâre from.â
 âI missed this,â I heard an audience member say to her partner later in the night, just as the last strums of The Parting Glass rang out after 10pm.
It felt like normality had finally returned to the capital, and looking around at the crowd, it was hard to imagine an artist who would have been more excited to bring the music back.
âI donât think we could have started this tour anywhere else,â Sheeran said before the evening came to a close.
No doubt heâll be bringing the same magic to Cork on April 28.
