In the afterglow of Ed Sheeran’s first show in Bengaluru

Attending a concert had always been on my to-do list, but apart from the usual college gigs, I had never experienced the magic of a live performance. I had imagined crossing it off my list with Cold Play’s recent gig in the country, but the logistics and travel costs of attending a concert in another city dampened my excitement. When Ed Sheeran bringing his + - = ÷ x (The Mathematics Tour) to Bengaluru, seemed to be a nudge from the universe.

Attending a concert had always been on my to-do list, but apart from the usual college gigs, I had never experienced the magic of a live performance. I had imagined crossing it off my list with Cold Play’s recent gig in the country, but the logistics and travel costs of attending a concert in another city dampened my excitement. When Ed Sheeran bringing his + - = ÷ x (The Mathematics Tour) to Bengaluru, seemed to be a nudge from the universe.

The hour-and-a-half journey by metro was met by another long wait in line followed by a security check to enter the concert space. Instead of the expected Gen Z crowd, there were fans of all ages including couples and families.

Finding a good spot for oneself is the biggest task at a concert. After some strategic jostling through the sea of people, the mission was accomplished. The evening kicked off with an electrifying performance by Mali aka Maalvika Manoj. She set the mood with ‘Semi Automatic Butane’, ‘Mango Showers’, and ‘Anniku Raatri.’

Then, as the sun began to set, Ed took the stage donning his ‘Bengaluru’ t-shirt and opened his performance with ‘Castle on the Hill’. The atmosphere instantly lit up with the crowd joining in, singing along to every word.

On his first day of performing in Bengaluru, Ed shared a heartfelt moment, “We played in Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad, but I can already tell this will be the best performance so far.” The evening followed with hits including, ‘Shivers,’ ‘I’m a Mess’, ‘Photograph’, and ‘Happier’ which had the crowd buzzing.

While some songs felt very familiar, others the lyrics were to be simply enjoyed and occasionally hummed along. Contrary to what some might say, you do not need to know all songs by heart to enjoy a concert. Ed made sure to throw a few tunes towards the audience encouraging them to sing along, keeping everyone hooked and energised throughout the show.

Even more incredible was when he revealed halfway through the concert that nothing was pre-recorded — every sound was created live, layered in real time and erased once the show ended, making each city’s experience truly one-of-a-kind.