Ed Sheeran made his Abu Dhabi debut as part of the inaugural Offlimits Music Festival.
Abu Dhabi has been upping the ante with a lineup of incredible concerts. 2025 kicked off with Coldplay, and we’ve since seen legends like Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez and Usher set stages on fire across the capital. Most recently, it was Ed Sheeran who headlined the inaugural Offlimits Music Festival in the capital.
Bringing his Mathematics Tour to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park, this marked the singer’s first-ever performance in the UAE capital. He had previously wowed Dubai crowds last year with the same tour.
As a long-time Ed Sheeran fan, this concert was a third-time’s-the-charm moment. Having missed his 2015 show at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre and his 2024 Dubai shows, his performance at the Offlimits Music Festival felt like fate — even if fate involved a very last-minute dash to the venue.
Getting into Etihad Park was its own mini-adventure. With Yas Mall parking packed to the brim, a solid 15-minute mall trek and then a sprint to the festival gates, FACT made it just in time.
Before Ed Sheeran took the stage, One Republic had gotten the crowd buzzing. The band’s frontman, Ryan Tedder, signed off cheekily, announcing, “Next up is Ed Sheeran from the UK… he’s alright,” sending ripples of laughter and cheers through the crowd.
Then, without any dramatic pause, playful tease, or the usual “get-your-phones-ready” intro most artists lean on, Ed Sheeran burst onto the stage strumming — and drumming — with his battered and beloved guitar. The crowd instantly erupted.
Dressed in simple black trousers and a black T-shirt that had “Abu Dhabi” printed across it in the colourful style of his Mathematics Tour branding, Ed Sheeran took command of the stage effortlessly.
He kicked off with a guitar solo, layering beats with his loop pedal. This lets him create tunes completely live and have them looped, freeing him up to interact with the crowd without missing a note.
Once Ed Sheeran was in the groove, he launched into Castle on the Hill, with the entire crowd belting along. Behind him, animations danced across giant screens — some clips from his album artwork, some live visuals like butterflies fluttering across bright backgrounds. It added a dreamy feel without overpowering the simplicity of his one-man-band setup.
Ed Sheeran rolled through hit after hit — Shivers, I’m a Mess, and The A Team. Fun fact: the singer confessed he thought The A Team would be a one-hit wonder. Safe to say, things turned out just fine for him.
When he sang Give Me Love, the mood mellowed, but the crowd stayed connected, humming along with him. Then, picking the energy right back up, he invited the audience to sing along, which only made the night feel even more special. Next came Don’t and Take It Back, where Ed Sheeran went full rap mode, ditching his guitar for a bit and just spitting bars.
While most artists spend live shows switching flashy outfits, Ed Sheeran stuck to his trusty black tee and swapped out guitars instead. It was clear. For him, it’s about the music, not the theatrics.
Soon, he slowed things down with Happier, Love Yourself and Sing. When Photograph started, you could feel the emotional shift. That song hit differently as the crowd swayed beneath a soft, sage-coloured animation playing on the screens.
From there, the set flowed beautifully — One, Perfect and Thinking Out Loud had couples dancing and grooving amidst a sea of lights, before everyone jumped back up for Ed Sheeran’s latest track, Azizam.
Finally, we hit the home stretch with the high-energy Shape of You — the entire Etihad Park jumping in unison — before he closed the night with Bad Habits and a massive firework display that lit up the sky. It was a grand, sparkling finale to a night that felt like it flew by too fast.
Ed Sheeran performed for two hours straight — no backing band, no break, just a man, his guitar, his loop pedal, and 30,000 fans singing right along. Most artists would have taken a breather, but not Ed Sheeran. He powered through with an energy and passion that proves why he’s considered one of the best live performers today.
However, not everything was perfect. While Ed Sheeran’s performance was spot on, the sound system at Etihad Park left a bit to be desired. It felt overly loud and slightly distorted, with a crackling sound that became a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because the organisers were trying to project their sound all the way to the back of a massive crowd or to drown out the sounds from the other stages, which should have been inactive during the headline set.
All in all, Ed Sheeran’s Offlimits set was nothing short of incredible. The sheer talent, energy, and heart he brought to the stage completely overshadowed everything else. After years of near-misses, finally seeing Ed live felt like the perfect full-circle moment — worth every step of the mad dash to the venue.
GO: Visit www.offlimitsfestival.com for more information.