ED SHEERAN surprised 1,700 of his most dedicated fans on Monday night with an intimate, invitation-only performance at the RDS, where he called Dublin “the best in the world to play shows in”.
The secret concert formed part of Spotify’s Billions Club series, which honours artists whose songs have surpassed one billion streams on the platform.
Previous performers in the series include Miley Cyrus in Paris and The Weeknd in California.
Sheeran, one of the world’s most-streamed musicians with more than 92 million monthly Spotify listeners, personally chose Dublin as the host city.
“The reason I wanted to do it in Dublin is because this is the place I decided I wanted to be a singer-songwriter when I was a kid,” Sheeran told the crowd.
“It’s a special place for me and my family, but it’s also where it all began musically.”
The singer-songwriter, who has strong Irish ties through his Belfast-born father and his late grandmother from Gorey, County Wexford, performed a mix of global hits and Irish-inspired favourites.
Fans were treated to chart-toppers such as Shape of You, Castle on the Hill, Thinking Out Loud, Perfect, Shivers, and Bad Habits, alongside beloved tunes Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan.
Closing the night, Sheeran surprised the audience with an emotional rendition of the traditional Irish farewell song The Parting Glass.
The 34-year-old star has made several unannounced appearances in the country this year, including a spontaneous performance at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford, where he joined local acts in a pub session.
After Monday’s RDS show, Sheeran was spotted at Dublin’s Hacienda Bar, a favourite among visiting musicians.
The concert was exclusive to top Spotify listeners, who received surprise notifications through the app and could register for free tickets.
Among the attendees were several Irish public figures, including presenter Eric Roberts, influencer Louise Cooney and former Olympian Greg O’Shea.
Sheeran is due to return to the Irish capital on December 9 for a sold-out performance at the 3Arena, part of his ongoing European arena tour.
“I want to see my dad, I want to see my family, and I want to connect with Ireland again, it’s been a while since I’ve played here,” he said.
See More: Dublin, Ed Sheeran, Spotify
