Ed Sheeran plays to sold-out Galway shows, busked here

Ed Sheeran used to busk on the streets of Galway, now he’s playing two sold out concerts there

It’s easy to forget that Ed Sheeran was once a struggling musician like the rest of them, playing on Galway streets with his guitar case collecting tips from passers-by.

Frances Mulraney

May 12, 2018

Ed Sheeran is in the midst of a nine-day tour of Ireland, a place where he used to busk before reaching worldwide stardom.

It may feel like half the country is traveling to see Ed Sheeran perform in Ireland lately as the British singer-songwriter takes on dates in Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Galway and while he might not yet have reached that level of domination, the country certainly has fully latched onto Sheeran fever for the month.

This weekend (Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13) he takes to the stage in Salthill, Galway, a place extremely close to his heart as it was in Galway City where he used to busk on Shop Street before he became one of the most successful artists in the world. There are 60,000 fans expected to turn up this weekend, which is a fair few more than Shop Street could hold, we’d say.

At just 12 years old, Sheeran was already wowing Galway residents and tourists with his tunes and showing off his musical prodigy. He has returned there on a few occasions to reminisce and what a feeling it must be now to return knowing that you can sell-out any place in the country you want.

Footage of Sheeran busking on Galway streets can be seen in his video for the song “Photograph” among many, many adorable home clips of him playing as a child and of him practicing several musical instruments throughout his childhood.

It’s easy to see why he’s become one of the biggest musical stars in the world looking back at the times he’s spent on the piano or practicing his cello from a young age.

Look to 2:28, however, to see Sheeran perched outside Treasure Chest in Galway, singing for his supper.

Not only that but the video also shows him having a crack at the traditional Irish drum, the bodhrán, at 3.04.

Sheeran has talked with nothing of fondness of his time in Galway and of the city in general, to be honest, which can easily be seen in him naming a whole song after the City of the Tribes with "Galway Girl" on his last album.

He even returned to Galway (via Dublin) to film the video accompanied by Irish actress Saoirse Ronan and took once more to the streets where he used to busk to surprise those who have replaced him.