We are ‘Thinking Out Loud’ as days come ‘2step’ closer to Ed Sheeran’s highly-anticipated + – = ÷ x Tour to India on March 16. The India leg of his ongoing Asia and Europe tour is the final stop in Asia at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. This will mark Ed‘s third visit to the city and the excitement is palpable.
Owen Roncon, chief of business, Live Entertainment, BookMyShow, calls it the first-of-a-kind show in the history of Indian entertainment industry. “This cutting-edge production is not only in sync with Sheeran‘s global tour, but also aims to redefine the grandeur of concert experiences in India. By offering fans an immersive journey through sound and space, the tour promises to deliver a live performance, with attendees at the epicentre of a sonic adventure. Mahalaxmi Racecourse will be transformed into a stadium-style venue,” shares Owen.
The concert boasts an engineering marvel — a 360-degree circular, revolving stage. As the sound system and immersive visual displays orbit the stage, a giant, circular halo screen positioned in the centre of the stage will add to the experience. “This design ensures that every audience enjoys an unparalleled view of Sheeran‘s performance from any angle in the venue. The outer ring of the stage, studded with the math symbols from the tour, will revolve at a slow pace, allowing Sheeran to interact with audiences across the venue,” says Owen.
Surrounded by four massive towers, which act as a dedicated stage for band members — Ashton Miranda (music director on the keys), Curtis Cumberbatch and Mitch Park (guitar), Jon Cox (bass guitar) and Dexter Hercules (drums) — who will perform with Ed, the stage will have two-way LED screens streaming the live performance.
Talking about India’s live entertainment industry, Owen says it is at the cusp of a revolution signalled by a strategically woven mix of production innovation and evolution of live experiences. “At BookMyShow we are working towards paving the way for curated live entertainment experiences. Bringing the iconic VerTech stage from Star Liveto Lollapalooza India 2024 furthered these efforts of a world-class platform for world-class artistes and has opened up a sea of opportunities while elevating the industry standard of technical prowess, production value and sustainability. We are concentrating all our efforts in readying India for artistes and performances from across the globe, for our audiences that actively seek quality experiences in their leisure time.”
Sheeran’s + – = ÷ x Tour will begin with a soul-stirring prelude by singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, known for his emotionally resonant melodies, such as ‘cold/mess’ and ‘Tum Jab Paas’ followed by pop artist, Calum Scott‘s performance in the opening act featuring his hits like ‘You Are The Reason’ and ‘Where Are You Now’.
The announcement of Sheeran‘s return, coupled with the promise of an impressive production, has sparked excitement among fans. Owen says the response to the tour has been phenomenal and BookMyShow recently opened up a few more seats.
“It’s also interesting to note that out of the total attendees, 40% reside in cities outside Mumbai, including Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Nagpur, Indore, Chandigarh, Goa, Jaipur, Surat, Guwahati and more, who will be travelling to the entertainment capital to be a part of the spectacle.”
Ed Sheeran: + – = ÷ x Tour will be held at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai, on March 16, 3pm onwards. Tickets start at ₹9,500 on in.bookmyshow.com.
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