Ed Sheeran given unusual secret code name ahead of Big Weekend surprise set
Ed Sheeran was given a secret code name ahead of his surprise appearance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, we can reveal.
The announcement of his performance came just 45 minutes before the Shape of You singer, 34, took to the stage and security had to close the area after it reached capacity. Opening with Castle on the Hill, Ed performed old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph.
Insiders said the performance had been in the planning for two months - but only 10 people knew about it. And to keep Ed 's appearance secret, they would refer to the singer as John Smith up until today.
Radio 1 breakfast show host Greg James was one of the few people that knew about Ed's secret gig from the beginning. "I don't even tell anyone at work," revealed Greg. "I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement.
"I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty.' I said 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty.' Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away."
During his performance, Ed told fans he chose to sing on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. He told the audience at Sefton Park: "I'm glad you turned up. I know this was a secret.
"I'm gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; If you don't know, it's gonna be a long hour for you." The singer added that by using his loop station, his set would be unique: "Everything you hear today is completely live. There's no backing track whatsoever.
"It's made live on the spot - control of my feet - and at the end it's deleted and it won't be the same at the next show. The way that it works is you press record like this, and when you press play, it plays back and loops, and you can add layers on top of it."
During his performance of latest song Azizam, Ed stopped and restarted his loop recording, telling the crowd: "I'm going to have to do this again again. This is how you know it's live. One more time." Ed, who has 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums and headlined the Big Weekend music festival in Coventry in 2022, finished his surprise set with Bad Habits.
A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set."
Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Blossoms, Myles Smith and the Sugababes all took the stage for the second day of the three day event. Haim and JADE are among those performing on Sunday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Bay City Rollers musical announces cast ahead of theatre run
The Bay City Rollers musical 'Rollers Forever' will take the stage at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre, celebrating fans' enduring love for the band. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rollers Forever focuses the story of two lifelong Bay City Rollers fans who reconnect on a Saturday night and relive their teenage obsession with the Rollers. It opens at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre from on August 19 and runs until August 30. It stars Chiara Sparkes and Dani Heron as friends Susan and Jenny, and Chiara said that there is excitement in the air ahead of the show commencing its run. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'It's exciting to have a show that people are so excited about coming to see. And it's sold so well already, that's quite rare. Going into a show already knowing there are so many fans and people that want it to be good, I think that's exciting.' Dani added: 'My mum absolutely loves them, and my aunties too. You don't realise how many songs they have. You know Shang-a-lang but then you look into it and you go 'I know that song, and that song.' 'I said to my mum and before I had accepted it she had bought tickets!' Alongside Chiara and Dani, Liam Harkins plays Susan's brother Alec, bringing his compelling stage presence following his performance as Celtic legend Tommy Burns. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rollermania will take over the Pavilion this August | Wattie Cheung Chiara and Dani play best friends connected by their love of the Rollers as it took over the world, something that writer Danny McCahon was keen to bring into focus on the stage. He explained: Well, there's only been two manias really in Britain, Beatlemania and Rollermania. I remember the 70s, not as if it was 50 years ago, but as if it was maybe a decade ago. And I remembered so many people in my life being massive Bay City Roller fans. In fact, my wife is a massive Bay City Rollers fan. 'One of the things she brought into our marriage was three Bay City Rollers albums. So I knew about them, but when I started examining what made a Rollers fan so close to the band, I started realising we were all the same. No matter what band you were into in the 70s, the band that you followed is how you found your people.' Danny said the play will shine a spotlight on those relationships formed through bands. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He continued: 'Whatever band you're associating yourself with is how you find your people. And this play has turned out to be a sort of spotlight on how that friendship is enduring. Friendship and love can endure when it's kicked off with a shared interest like that.' John McLaughlin had been a lifelong Rollers fan, before becoming a member of the band when they reunited in 2015. Now he is a producer of Rollers Forever. He explained: 'It's incredible. I've seen it first hand. I've been a Bay City Rollers fan since I was a wee boy aged seven or eight. They were the first real band I had seen on the telly, and I saw the colour, the screaming girls on Top of the Pops, and then I saw an interview with them. They talked like me. 'So it really made a huge impression on me. I thought, 'Oh, this looks amazing. And they talk like me. This is amazing'. And then years later, full circle, I was lucky enough to put the reunion together with Les, Alan and Woody, and we took it all the way to the Hydro.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And still flying the flag for the Rollers is Stuart 'Woody' Wood. The sole remaining member of the band from their 1970s heyday said that the musical is a chance for the Rollers fans to shine. He said: 'Back in 2015 and there were all these plans to do all this stuff, a movie and musical and reunion and it was great. The shows were sell outs. It was brilliant fun. John always wanted to do this musical, and we all stayed pals through the whole thing. We've written songs together, the title for the musical Rollers Forever is a song that we've written for it.' Bay City Rollers fans were known for their passion 'It's about the fans. It's not the story of the Bay City Rollers. It's just Bay City Rollers Music and the fans are telling their story.' The legacy of the Rollers has endured for more than five decades, Woody said that he feels lucky that their songs have stood the test of time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said: 'Those songs are still getting played someplace, whether it's their parents or their grandparents, the older radio stations, we had that top 20 last year, and just certain songs that just seem to stand the test of time. And we are lucky enough that a bunch of our songs are still doing that.' Tickets range from £25 - £39.50 and are available now here.
Evening Standard
3 hours ago
- Evening Standard
I'm a successful stand up comedian. But this year I've been priced out of Edinburgh Fringe.
The tech person helping on my show, on summer break from University, told me that student friends of his have their housing contracts come to an end in July and start back up again in the September, as landlords wanted maximum rent during the month of Ed-Fringe. I know of one stand-up with a show this year who is camping to save costs. It's safe to say I won't be doing that. Having two major stadium concerts from Oasis and AC/DC playing in the city the same month can't be helping the already priced out performers this year. .
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Free screening of family-friendly Grand Prix of Europe coming to Ayrshire cinema
Grand Prix of Europe tells the story of Edda, a young mouse with a big dream of becoming a racing superstar. Cinema goers are in for a free treat later this month when Escapes brings a preview screening of the highly-anticipated Grand Prix of Europe to Ayrshire. The Astoria Cinema in Ayr is set to screen the animated adventure comedy featuring an all-star cast on Tuesday, August 5 at 11am. Directed by Waldemar Fast, Grand Prix of Europe tells the story of Edda, a young mouse with a big dream of becoming a racing superstar. An international co-production between Germany and the UK, the film features Ed and Edda, the mascots of the Europa-Park theme park in Rust, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. Supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) and National Lottery funding, Escapes is a UK-wide programme which aims to shine a spotlight on the charm and uniqueness of independent cinema. The event brings free cinema to audiences across the UK continuing their mission to make independent film accessible to all. Preview screenings will take place on Monday, August 4 and Tuesday, August 5, before the film's official UK release on August 22. Featuring an all-star voice cast including Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Ed, Gemma Arterton as Edda, Hayley Atwell, Lenny Henry and Rob Beckett, Grand Prix of Europe is a family-friendly adventure which isn't just about speed. The Astoria is one of more than 100 cinemas nationwide that will be screening Grand Prix of Europe as part of the Escapes initiative which has seen more than 115,000 free tickets claimed since it launched last year. Tickets for Grand Prix of Europe are free and available for sign up now here.
