Why Ed Sheeran’s return to New Zealand hits all the right notes
It’s official: Ed Sheeran is coming back to New Zealand, and for fans across Aotearoa, it’s more than just another concert announcement. It’s a homecoming of sorts - not just for Ed, who’s long professed his love for our neck of the woods, but for the herd of Kiwi fans who’ve grown up with his music.
He’s returning with the Loop Tour, set to light up stadiums in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in early 2026. This tour lands just months after the release of his eagerly awaited new album, Play, due out on September 12.
If you’ve heard the lead singles - ‘Azizam,’ ‘Sapphire,’ and ‘Old Phone’ - you already know this isn’t the same Ed Sheeran who left off with Subtract. This is a version of Ed reborn - unafraid to lean into the fun, chaos and colour of pop.
The tour announcement was made at a private media event in Sydney on Tuesday night, held at the Lord Dudley Hotel in Paddington, which had been completely transformed into the Old Phone Pub for the occasion - a nostalgic nod to the album’s lead single. Complete with retro signage and classic British pub charm.
The upcoming New Zealand shows promise all-new stage production, immersive visuals, and of course, those intimate acoustic moments that Ed does like no one else. We’ve been promised that Play draws inspiration from Indian, Persian, and Irish musical traditions. Somehow, that global influence makes perfect sense for an artist who’s as comfortable on a stage in London as he is hiding out in little New Zealand.
“I love New Zealand,” Sheeran said, to a pub full of Australian music journalists. “Every time I’m in New Zealand, I keep saying to my wife we should move here, and then we get back home and realise it’s a long way from family. But I love touring New Zealand, and it’s more of an excuse to kind of be there for a month as well, rather than just be there for a weekend.”
Sheeran’s soft spot for New Zealand is no secret. He’s called Wellington his favourite city, and over the years, he’s even slipped away here with his young family - without fuss. But there’s something quite special about his return to Christchurch too, a full 11 years since he last played there.
“I remember the first time playing in Christchurch, just being excited that I was playing outside of the two major big cities - and I felt the same thing when we played Dunedin,” Sheeran recalled. “I’m from a place like that, so it feels special when music tours go to places that aren’t necessarily like the capital city.”
The timing couldn’t be better. Kiwis are hungry for live music, especially post-pandemic, and Sheeran remains one of the rare global artists who can fill a stadium while making it feel like a jam session in your lounge. There’s no doubt that tickets will vanish quickly - and rightly so.
It’s hard to explain Ed Sheeran’s magic to anyone who hasn’t witnessed it live. It’s the way he loops himself into a one-man symphony. It’s the awkward charm, the feeling that somehow, even from the back of Mt Smart, he’s singing just to you.
Despite the massive stages, chart-topping records and global fame, Sheeran still approaches music with the same sense of joy and humility that made him a star in the first place. That human connection. For him, success is only about doing what he loves, on his own terms.
“I think the biggest success that I’ve had in my life is doing a job that I love,” Sheeran said. “Music is an enjoyable thing - it shouldn’t ever feel like a job or a chore.”
In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, Ed Sheeran’s return to New Zealand feels like a reminder of what music can do: bring us together. And Kiwis have always shown up for Ed.
Brin Rudkin travelled to Sydney thanks to Frontier Touring.
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