Throughout yesterday, rumours had circulated that “a big name” would be appearing on stage at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Festival in Liverpool. 

Nevertheless, fans were surprised and thrilled by the un-billed appearance of Ed Sheeran on stage on Saturday afternoon. 

The bestselling artist was making his fifth appearance at the festival, last performing in 2022. 

Sheeran’s decision to appear on the New Music Stage came because, the BBC reported, “he felt it had the best energy.” 

However, this meant he eschewed the main stage at the event, and the smaller crowd capacity meant many fans were left disappointed that they couldn’t get to see one of the UK’s biggest international stars perform. 

Sheeran has sold an estimated 200million records since his debut album was released in 2011 and won four Grammy Awards for his work, including Best Pop Solo Performance for 2018’s Shape of You. His work  includes collaborations with artists Taylor Swift, Stormzy and Justin Bieber. He is about to embark on a UK and European tour. 

The Big Weekend Festival is BBC Radio One’s biggest annual event, with more than 100,000 fans expected to attend this weekend in Liverpool to watch around 100 acts perform across four stages. 

Sam Fender headlined Saturday evening, with Mumford & Sons expected on stage Sunday evening.