Sheeran, touching down in India on March 12 for his ” – = ÷ x Tour”, mesmerized music lovers with a two-and-a-half-hour performance, delivering over 30 songs at the bustling Mahalaxmi Race Course grounds in South Mumbai on Saturday evening.
The Grammy winner expressed his joy at returning to the country. His initial visit to India was in 2015, followed by a concert performance in 2017.
I understand India is vast, and not everyone at the concert is from Mumbai. Many have traveled far to be here today, taking trains, planes, and driving, even with their kids. I appreciate the effort you’ve put in to spend your Saturday night with me.
I don’t take this lightly; I truly value everyone’s effort to be here. Thank you immensely for choosing to spend your Saturday night with me when you could be doing anything else,” said Sheeran, assuring fans of his return next year.
This is only the start,” he remarked.
With his guitar strumming, the 33-year-old singer performed a mix of songs, such as “Tides,” “The A Team,” “Perfect,” “Happier,” “Don’t Call Me Baby,” “Castle On The Hill,” “Galway Girl,” and “Eyes Closed.
One of the concert’s highlights was Sheeran collaborating with Punjabi star-singer Diljit Dosanjh on the hit Punjabi track “Lover.”
As the audience erupted in joy witnessing the two musicians perform together on a 360-degree circular revolving stage, Dosanjh exclaimed in Punjabi, “Let’s hear it for Sheeran.” In response, Sheeran urged the crowd, “Mumbai, make some noise for Diljit.
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In Mumbai tonight, I had the pleasure of performing with @diljitdosanjh and singing in Punjabi for the first time. My experience in India has been absolutely amazing, and there’s more to come!” shared the British artist on Instagram.
heeran also collaborated with Malik on their 2022 single “2Step”.
Following their performance, Malik remarked, “Ed, there’s something that binds us all Indians, which I showed you a few days ago. Would you like to do it with me?” The duo then struck Shah Rukh Khan’s signature open-arm pose on stage.
Throughout the concert, Sheeran engaged with the audience, encouraging them to sing along.
“Let’s hear Mumbai sing along,” he exclaimed, and the crowd enthusiastically joined in.
The event commenced at 5:00 pm with Indian singer Prateek Kuhad and English musician Calum Scott as the opening acts before Sheeran graced the stage at 7:30 pm.
Dressed casually in jeans and a black T-shirt adorned with ‘Mumbai’ on both the front and back, the artist expressed gratitude to the audience, who attended his Mumbai concert for the second time.
Thank you to everyone returning to see me play again. And to those experiencing my live performance for the first time, know that everything you hear tonight is live,” Sheeran conveyed.
Moments later, he declared this as “the best show ever” on his tour, expressing his utmost enjoyment.
As the concert drew to a close, Sheeran reappeared on stage donning a kurta inscribed with ‘Mumbai’ in Hindi, delivering memorable hits like “Shape of You” and “Bad Habits”.
“Mumbai, I adore the ‘Shape of You’… Tonight will stay with me forever. Please ensure a safe journey home,” Sheeran concluded.
He bid farewell to the crowd with a simple wave before departing.
Bollywood stars including actors Madhuri Dixit Nene, Priyamani, and filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan were among the attendees at the concert.
Leading up to the concert, the singer met with several Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan.
Farah Khan hosted a star-studded party in Sheeran’s honor, attended by Aryan Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Malaika Arora, Rajkummar Rao, Patralekhaa, Huma Qureshi, and Arshad Warsi.
Upon his arrival in India, the singer visited a Mumbai school where he treated children to his all-time favorite track “Shape of You.” Later, he met Ayushmann Khurrana, who served him the Punjabi dessert pinni, prepared by the actor’s mother.
Videos of Sheeran and Malik dancing to the hit track “Butta Bomma” from Allu Arjun’s 2020 film “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo” recently went viral on social media. During his stay in Mumbai, Sheeran was also seen playing cricket with Indian batsman Shubman Gill and comedian Tanmay Bhat.
BookMyShow co-promoted Sheeran’s India tour alongside AEG Presents.