Cameron Noble
BBC News, Suffolk
Reporting fromPortman RoadGeorge King
BBC News, Suffolk
Cameron Noble/BBC
Fans of the singer have come from far and wide to see his Portman Road gigs in Ipswich this weekend
Ed Sheeran superfans from around the globe have been camping out since the early hours of this morning ahead of the musician’s trio of latest “homecoming” concerts.
The singing superstar will kick-off the first of his three shows at Portman Road stadium, in Ipswich, later on Friday.
The sold-out concerts, which are also taking place on Saturday and Sunday, will attract 90,000 fans, some of whom have been queuing since 04:00 BST on Friday to make sure they can get prime positions in front of the stage.
One of those, Deborah Marshal, 73, who travelled to the town from Indiana, US, said: “I came a long way because I really, really, really love Ed Sheeran.”
Cameron Noble/BBC
Deborah Marshall travelled to Ipswich from Evansville in Indiana, US to watch Ed Sheeran
“I didn’t even know who Ed Sheeran was before 2020 but once I found him I just wanted to follow him,” she told the BBC outside Ipswich Town’s ground.
“He has helped me through life situations with his music.”
Cameron Noble/BBC
Martin Cox has been queueing to get into Portman Road since the early hours of Friday
Martin Cox, 70, from London, has been a fan of Sheeran since 2010 and turned up outside Portman Road during the early hours.
“I like to be here to get to the front row and to also meet other people who are in the queue,” he said.
“He means so much to me because of his songs, the way he performs, and his personality.”
Cameron Noble/BBC
Fans have been waiting on the dry grass of Alderman Park outside the concert venued since the early hours of Friday
Andrew Woodger/BBC
Pink is in evidence across the town, including some of the green/brown grass on roadside verges being repainted in honour of Sheeran’s return
Many of the fans gathered outside Portman Road are wearing pink, inspired by the artwork and marketing for Sheeran’s upcoming album Play.
It has also provided the inspiration behind the pink displays and bunting that have been dotted around the town.
Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Central will be hosting a three-day homecoming party in the town centre too.
This will include a Cornhill fan zone from 10:00 to 18:00 BST each day, featuring a large screen filled with Sheeran trivia, live messages from fans and more.
A pop-up shop selling merchandise will be set up, and there will be live busking in Alderman Park next to Portman Road stadium from 13:30 daily.
Jen O’Neill
Sheeran’s appearance on the bill at The Swan in Ipswich town centre (now The Swan & Hedgehog) in 2010 turned into an impromptu gig in the street
Cameron Noble/BBC
Morgan Summersgill will be watching Ed Sheeran tonight and again on Sunday
Morgan Summersgill, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has travelled to England for the first time to see Sheeran, both tonight and on Sunday.
She said she was soaking up the atmosphere that has engulfed the town in recent days.
“I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan and this is my fifth time seeing him,” she said.
“I am so grateful to be here and be a part of it, and tomorrow, to make it even more special, I am getting the ‘Play’ symbol done [as a tattoo] in Ipswich.
“It is incredible and I cannot even explain how I am feeling.”
Cameron Noble/BBC
Hayley Judge says she is the UK’s only female Ed Sheeran tribute act
Hayley Judge, from south London, claims to be the world’s only female Ed Sheeran tribute act.
She told BBC Radio Suffolk she was looking forward to hearing the singer’s new songs, which she is “loving”, but added that 2011’s The A Team “never gets old for me”.
“I used to run an open mic night, and one of the guys came one night, and he played The A Team, and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s an amazing song’,” she said.
“And then that’s how I started following Ed and just started learning his songs and bought a loop station.”
Getty Images
Sheeran told the BBC he was excited ahead of the three concerts. He grew up in Framlingham and is a minor shareholder in Ipswich Town FC
Sheeran himself is equally as excited about his huge shows this weekend – but it is not the first time he and his acoustic guitar have popped up in the town.
He performed pub gigs as he made a name for himself in venues including the Steamboat Tavern and The Swan, and he appeared at Ipswich Music Day where local acts perform at the annual free event in Christchurch Park.
After his rise to global superstardom, he played four concerts in the town’s Chantry Park in 2019.
In 2021, in the wake of Covid lockdown restrictions, he played a live-streamed gig at Portman Road with no audience present.
and also played an impromptu gig outside the town hall in 2022.
“This is the first time in my entire career that I am actually playing [in front of fans at Portman Road],” he said while talking exclusively to the BBC.
“So this is kind of like a homecoming show, which is going to be good.”