Shillong: British pop sensation Edward Christopher Sheeran popularly known as Ed Sheeran is all set to perform on Wednesday in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong as part of his India’s '+ - = ÷ x' tour.
More than 26,000 people are expected to attend the Ed Sheeran concert at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Polo which is set to begin at 6:15 PM but the gates will open at 4 PM.
Tickets for Sheeran's '+ - = ÷ x' tour have already been sold out, with some tickets reaching an eye-popping price of Rs. 30,000.
Despite the steep prices, fans are eager to hear some of Sheeran’s most popular tracks, including anthems like Perfect, Shape of You, Thinking Out Loud, and Bad Habits.
Sheeran’s 23-song setlist for the Shillong concert will surely have the crowd singing along to every word.
“We are eagerly waiting to witness global pop sensation Ed Sheeran perform Wednesday evening here in Shillong,” Sashi Anunglq Ao, who came from Nagaland for the concert, said.
Many Ed Sheeran fans won’t be able to attend the concert but are hoping that Ed Sheeran will surprise his fans in Shillong with an unannounced performance.
“Ed Sheeran surprised his fans with his unannounced performance on Church Street, Bangalore, but the policemen cut short his performance. Like me and many others are expecting his (Ed Sheeran) unannounced performance in Shillong, which is the music capital of India,” Cynthia, a die-hard fan of the British pop singer, said.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh highlighted the growing significance of Meghalaya in India’s music tourism landscape.
“You will appreciate the fact that none other than the Prime Minister of India has addressed the media and has tweeted about the emerging concert economy and Meghalaya has been a trendsetter in this field,” Lyngdoh said.
District authorities of East Khasi Hills have announced some special arrangements and advisories to facilitate both concert attendees and residents.
“Children below the age of 5 will not be allowed at the concert. Attendees are permitted to carry only three items – mobile phones, keys, and wallets. Security measures will include three checkpoints before entering the stadium, with police handling the outer periphery alongside the event’s security team,” Vivek Syiem, the district police Chief of East Khasi Hills, said.
