British star Ed Sheeran has officialy broken the record for the biggest ever LIVE music performance on TikTok, with over 5.5 million unique viewers watching his show across the live stream on Friday, June 25th and two replays on the next day, Saturday, June 26th, 2021.

Ed-Sheeran-TikTok-Livestream-2021

The groundbreaking performance was conceived and filmed specifically for the TikTok audience. Acclaimed British music video director Emil Nava and music and television director Hamish Hamilton worked in partnership with TikTok, Atlantic Records, Ed’s management and the artist himself to produce the creative and technical spectacle, which also featured prominent TikTok creators Jeremy Lynch, Nathan Ramsay and Leticia Stock.

The TikTok UEFA EURO 2020 show was staged at Portman Road, home stadium of Ed’s beloved Ipswich Town football club and streamed globally on his channel. From a bespoke stage designed and created to be native to vertical video, the show combined a stunning special effects, an on-stage mobile phone that Sheeran used to talk directly to the audience, as well as augmented reality that changed with each song and integrated with the backdrop of the football stadium. It was a performance that encapsulated both intimacy and scale, creating a unique moment that wowed millions in the TikTok community.

During a 12 song, hour-long set from the ground, fans were treated to classic songs including: A Team, Shape of You and Perfect, as well as an emotional performance of the song Visiting Hours from a local pub and dedicated to Ed’s friend, former Australian music exec Michael Gudinksi, who passed away earlier this year. The show was the first global broadcast for the UK star, the first full show he’d played with a live band and the premiere live performance of his new single, Bad Habits.

“The TikTok UEFA 2020 show was an incredible moment for our community around the world and a watershed moment for live music streaming. Alongside the numbers, Ed’s unmissable live show has creatively raised the bar as to what is possible within the live streaming format and demonstrated the scale and ambition TikTok can deliver for artists,” says Paul Hourican, Head of Music Operations, TikTok UK.

“We are thrilled to see Ed make history again, following his fantastic TikTok UEFA 2020 show performance and release of Bad Habits. Uniting and engaging his global fanbase was imperative for Ed, Grumpy Old Management and Atlantic, as we kicked-off his new campaign, and our close partnership with Paul and the whole TikTok team enabled us to realise that ambition in a uniquely creative way. From the intricate creative direction by Emil Nava to the cameos from the wider TikTok community, Friday proved to be a ground-breaking event that generated huge excitement amongst Ed’s fans worldwide. Deservedly it has become the most-viewed artist performance in TikTok history and we’re excited to see Ed’s footprint continue to grow on the platform,” comments co-president of Atlantic Records, Ed Howard.

For those of you that missed this epic show, you can catch it again in full on TikTok on Friday, July 9th, 2021 at 20:00 BST / 15:00 EDT / 12:00 PDT / 05:00 AEST.

More info:
www.edsheeran.com
www.fb.com/edsheeranmusic