Ed Sheeran is set to make history by becoming the first international artist to perform in Bhutan.
The Shape of You hitmaker will play a concert in the Himalayan kingdom on Friday at the 15,000-capacity Changlimithang Stadium in the nation’s capital Thimphu as part of his ongoing Mathematics Tour.
Tickets for the gig start at just $A20 and teenage Sheeran fan Yangchen Tsering, 14, is looking forward to attending the concert with her friends after a forest fire on the outskirts of the city led to fears that it could be cancelled.
She is quoted by The Times newspaper as saying: “There are not many rich people in Bhutan who can travel abroad to experience such a concert, so to have it happening here is amazing.
“We’ve all gone mad trying to figure out what to wear.”
Sheeran’s concert is a remarkable event for a nation that is free from the trappings of modern life – with the population only beginning to watch TV around 25 years ago – and is expected to be attended by some members of the royal family.
Bhutan’s royals have been trying to increase tourism on a limited scale and Queen Jetsun Pema, 34, and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 44, are both set to be at Sheeran’s groundbreaking concert.
Announcing the Bhutan concert last year, the Bad Habits hitmaker said hello using a local turn of phrase.
The 33-year-old singer said in an Instagram video: “Kuzuzampola!
“I’ve heard wonderful, wonderful things about Bhutan.”
Sheeran revealed last year that he had finished work on his next album, the follow-up to his 2023 record ‘-‘, and teased that he is “getting back into big pop”.
He told Variety: “Subtract was obviously a completely different record that didn’t really call for big pop stuff.
“It feels like I’m getting back into big pop for the first time in a long time. It’s quite exciting.”
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