Ed Sheeran has given fans another surprise performance, this time in Sheffield on Saturday (May 17) appearing alongside DJ AG.
The ‘Thinking Out Loud’ songwriter performed a few of his hits including ‘Shape Of You’ and his most recent single, ‘Azizam’. He was also joined by grime legend JME for a version of ‘Radio’ from Ed’s 2011 release, ‘No. 5 Collaborations Project’ EP.
Sheeran was appearing in support of TRACKS – a group created by Sheffield Music School and Sheffield Music Hub, which helps young people break into the music industry. The group was awarded three years of funding from the Ed Sheeran Foundation earlier this year.
The group’s music facilitator, Louis Barclay, told the BBC of how the Sheffield group gained its support from Sheeran: “It started with Ed visiting TRACKS and seeing what we do,” he said.
“I think he just felt the ethos of what we do and saw it was something he wanted to support.”
As well as well-known stars like Ed Sheeran and JME, several students of TRACKS got to perform their new single called ‘Spotlight’. TRACKS performers Max, 16, and Jayden, 13, spoke with deep appreciation for the opportunity to jump on the set.
“It was insane, words cannot describe how good it was, it was just mad,” said Max. Jayden added: “I was so excited. I’ve never met him in person before and he’s one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met and I mean that from the deepest point of my heart.”
London-based DJ AG has been leading open mic live streams in London and other cities, gaining virality on Tik Tok and other social media platforms. His ‘open format’ streams are known for their variety and accessibility: you may see well-known music icons like Skepta, D Double E or Jorja Smith perform during his sets, but he also gives space for up-and-coming/amateur performers to showcase their talents. He humbly told the BBC that “it’s not about me, I’m just a facilitator showcasing talent, trying to help, do my part, giving it everything and hopefully everyone had a good time.” His community-minded musical efforts led to him being named TimeOut’s Londoner Of The Year in 2024.
Throughout the past year, Sheeran has been giving pop-up performances around the world, with the singer-songwriter making appearances in India, London, New Orleans and New York to name a few. His eighth studio album, ‘Play’, is set to be released in September later this year, so far supported by two singles, ‘Azizam’ and ‘Old Phone’.
Sheeran was recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 – you can read our MXDWN coverage on that here.
