Saturday, March 16, 2024 – That date is etched in history! For various reasons, of course, but it is the day Ed Sheeran stopped Mumbai in its tracks. Quite literally, too! Ask people who took 4 hours to reach! Mahalaxmi Racecourse saw 55,000 people aka Sheerios throng (too small a word, BTW) to the venue to watch Ed live in action for his record-breaking +-=÷x Tour. BTW, this was also the last India leg of Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour.
Visual representation of the people present. Exhibit A:
Image Courtesy: RVR16
Exhibit B:
Oh, yes! That is the top shot and I, too, am a tiny dot amongst the large crowd! It’s not good for my claustrophobic soul, but when work takes you places, you find a place in the MASSIVE crowd, sing along from far away, rely on your phone camera’s zoom and just soak in the…oh, I don’t exactly have a word to sum up for the whole experience! I only know, he is exactly my age, a core millennial and my playlist came alive right in front of all my senses.
Ed Sheeran Spread Cheerios Amongst Sheerios At Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour Mumbai
People came to see the 33-year-old musical genius live from far and wide. Not just Mumbai, people flew in from other Indian cities too. And, trust me, it was totally worth it! While Ed has been in India since Mar 12 and doing a lot of Mumbai darshan; on stage, Ed only has love for his fans. From “Mumbai, I am in love with the shape of you” to acknowledging how his fans have travelled from other places too, Ed won more hearts.
He said, “I know India is a big place but everyone here at the concert is not necessarily from Mumbai. People have travelled a long way to be here today. People got on trains, planes, they drove, and got kids, got babysitters. I know a lot goes in you spending your Saturday night with me. I did not take this for granted, I appreciate all the efforts of people to come here. Thank you so much for giving your Saturday night, you could be doing anything but you are spending it with me.”
Worth it!
150 minutes of pure Ed Sheeran songs, live, totally live (no dubbing, no playback, just simply live) was truly an altruistic act. Apart from seconds of breathers between the songs and a costume change, Ed was seen prancing around in the most energetic state on the unique 360-degree circular, revolving stage (a first in the country). And, no, he didn’t get dizzy one bit!
Top Moments That Gave Me ‘Shivers’ At The Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour’s Mumbai Leg
Ed’s Entry
Dudes and dudettes and others, no one realised it but Ed wheeled his way to the stage inside a humongous equipment case. I got to know that much later while scouring through the social media feed. But it was an epic after-the-concert moment!
Opening Song And Closing Songs
Ed regaled fans with 30+ songs from his six albums and sang for two-and-a-half hours. He opened the show with Tides and ended it with Bad Habits. And, in between, he covered all his chart-toppers like Shivers, A-Team, Castle on the Hill, Don’t, Galway Girl, Thinking Out Loud, Love Yourself, Happier, Beautiful People, Perfect, Afterglow, Shape of You, and more. While I love all these songs, watching him in the flesh, each one evoked so many emotions. Particularly, Eyes Closed, where I got unlimited tears rolling down my face. I felt each and every note of it and was dancing with my eyes closed with tears rolling. Same with Photograph!
Ed+SRK Pose = <3
Ed’s 2Step with Armaan Malik didn’t come as much of a surprise for fans, as the clues were all over the social media, TBH. That and the fact that Armaan is sharing stage space at almost every concert of late and is the ‘surprise act’ at many. But what left the fans gleaming was when Armaan said, “Ed, there’s something that unites us all Indians. I taught you this a few days back. Would you like to do it with me?” And, voila (with violins in our heads) SRK Pose!
Also Read: Ed Sheeran Drinks Margaritas & Dances With Armaan Malik At THIS Secret Restaurant In Mumbai
Dil-jeetne Wale Edwinder Sheeran And Our Diljit Dosanjh!
“Mumbai, make some noise for Diljit,” said Ed. And man, that noise was LOUD! The collab we never thought we would get but were blessed to witness it live. They sang Lover and there was sheer love in the air. The way Ed nailed the Punjabi diction was MIND-BLOWING. (Yes, I am trying to express the excitement through ALL CAPS). I mean, the “hona hi main recover” and “tera mera dil te hai, rooh te hai, asar” are still ringing in my ears. One couldn’t have asked for a better surprise act, trust me!
Of course, it broke the Internet! OF COURSE!
The Blue Kurta 👌
Most of the act, Ed donned a black tee with MUMBAI written on the back. But before the finale, he donned a blue, bandhgala short kurta. He looked very desi in it.
The Visual Effects
Hands down the 360-degree circular, revolving stage made viewing the concert from every nook and cranny of the venue a breeze. And, the visual effects on the circular halo were top-notch. Sometimes, I was more into the VDJ than looking towards the stage. It was truly a brilliantly executed set-up by BookMyShow Live and Ed’s team.
Now Come The Not-So-Good Moments:
- The loonnngggggg commute! Not only the hours spent to get to the venue but the walk to the stadium-style arena
- Food was over before you knew it! Yes, mid show, the food at many partner stalls was over. After Ed’s curtain call, the sea of crowd moved towards the F&B offerings and swept away whatever was remaining. So, towards the end, thousands were left without food!
- People are horrible in India when it comes to littering. Pathetic! Despite plenty of designated dustbins spread all over the venue, people threw plastic bottles, beer cans, paper plates, tissues all over the ground. Absolutely, pathetic!
- The loonnngggggg commute to get out of the venue and reach home.
Thanks to the traffic, I couldn’t catch the opening acts by Prateek Kuhad and Calum Scott. Heard they were enthralling too. This was Ed’s 2nd concert in Mumbai (and third time performing in India) and a record-breaking one. Just like he said that he’s not gonna forget this night in a long time, us attendees wouldn’t forget too! We will keep this love in a photograph (and photo galleries) and we made these memories for ourselves. Until next time, Ed!
To know more about his upcoming shows in 2024, head here.
Cover Image Courtesy: BookMyShow, RVR16
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