Mumbai: As BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination, brings Ed Sheeran’s record-breaking + - = ÷ x Tour to India as part of his Asia and Europe Tour in 2024, the platform is gearing up to push boundaries and scale newer heights in creative production and technological integration.
In a historic first for the Indian entertainment industry, BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment division of BookMyShow is set to create an unparalleled live experience with a monumental stadium-style set-up at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai for the Indian leg of the Ed Sheeran: + - = ÷ x Tour on 16 March 2024.
The highlight of this extraordinary production is the introduction of a 360-degree circular and revolving stage with a cutting-edge production set-up that will captivate Indian audiences in an experience never witnessed on Indian soil thus far. This iconic feature is in sync with the global + - = ÷ x Tour taking place across the world, redefining the scale of the concert experience for Ed Sheeran's fans.
An engineering marvel, the 360-degree circular, revolving stage will be an unmissable sight with its unique design making every view, the best one in the house, giving a wholesome view of the concert across its entire duration! Ed Sheeran will be visible from all angles and every spot in the venue, ensuring that no view is a bad view. The outer ring of the stage, studded with the iconic Math symbols from the tour, will effortlessly and seamlessly revolve at a slow pace, allowing Ed to interact with audiences across the venue, as they see him facing them at intervals throughout the performance. As a constellation of a state-of-the-art sound system and immersive visual displays orbit the stage, the giant circular ‘halo screen’ positioned in the centre of the stage will add to the striking play of light, sound and visual aesthetic offering a truly immersive experience. Surrounded by four massive towers acting as a dedicated stage for each band member along with Ed Sheeran, who will perform from the central 360-degree revolving stage accompanied by two-way LED screens streaming the live performance suspended from the four towers, music and visuals will reach every corner of the venue with unparalleled clarity and heightened visibility, transcending conventional concert experiences!
Offering fans an immersive journey through sound and space like never before, the tour features Sheeran’s genre-blurring hits and promises an extraordinary live performance, with the musician’s fans being at the epicentre of an unforgettable sonic adventure.
The fun doesn’t end with the tech-savvy 360° stage and the magic continues to take shape in the Maximum City! In a unique marketing endeavour, BookMyShow announced the biggest live music spectacle of 2024 with a unique take-over of an 800-square-foot wall at Carter Road, Bandra in Mumbai, bringing to life a gigantic mural painting showcasing the first-look of what this iconic production marvel with the 360° stage will mean for the experience that Ed Sheeran: + - = ÷ x Tour – India will be! What sets this mural apart is its integration of Augmented Reality (AR) that brings the wall alive in vibrant colours highlighting the aesthetic, vibe and feels of Ed Sheeran’s magical aura on stage.
Fans can get a sneak peek into the concert experience by scanning the QR code on the wall for a rather peppy surprise! Upon scanning the code, fans are redirected to Instagram, opening up the world of Ed Sheeran’s musical madness with a fun Instagram filter ‘'Ed +-=÷x'. Pointing the phone camera toward the 360° stage on the mural will allow fans to enjoy a short animation that captures the vibe of the entire music concert, complete with dancing crowds, the revolving stage, the halo screen and fireworks going off, giving Ed Sheeran fans the complete lowdown of the ‘Perfect’ musical experience set to arrive in Mumbai in 2024! This interactive feature allows fans to record and share their experience with friends as also on their Instagram profiles as stories. The 'Ed +-=÷x' official Instagram filter will also be available on BookMyShow’s Instagram handle, making it accessible to a wider audience, inviting them to visit the mural and engage with this innovative experience. The creative mural is painted by lead artist Jisha Madai and Zain Siddiqui, curator from WickedBroz Art.
Commenting on the creative elements in the build-up to Ed Sheeran’s upcoming India tour, BookMyShow chief of business – live entertainment Owen Roncon said, “The future of events in India is on the cusp of a remarkable transformation. Our endeavour at BookMyShow Live is to consistently push the boundaries of how live entertainment is experienced here at par with global standards. In line with that, we are thrilled to bring this ground-breaking, production wonder with the 360-degree circular, revolving stage to the Indian audience for the Ed Sheeran: + - = ÷ x Tour. With this innovative production, auditory experience and the technological integration, the tour comes to India as a work of art where technology waltzes with creativity, weaving an enchanting blend of visuals and sound; ensuring infact that it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Technology has now taken a central role in crafting live entertainment experiences and with this distinctive design and a vibrant AR-enabled mural wall showcasing the musical magic of Ed Sheeran, fans can engage with this experience from much before the on-ground experience itself. Mumbai has consistently seized every opportunity and through this creative initiative, we want to create a dreamy visual stimulus of what fans can experience at their favourite artist’s live concert in the city! This blend of technology, music and art transcends boundaries through its sheer creativity and innovation. We are gearing up for a shift in the paradigm of event experiences and this marks just the beginning of immersive experiences for Indian fans!"
Check out the video here, as the magic comes alive!
BookMyShow Live will bring Ed Sheeran’s + - = ÷ x Tour to India as promoters for the tour along with AEG Presents. Ed Sheeran returns to Mumbai, India 6 years after his previous blockbuster, successful outing with the Divide Tour in 2017.
The India leg of this much-awaited sensational and best-selling tour will be the final stop in the Asia Tour and will be held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in the heart of Mumbai on 16 March 2024, with special guest and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
General on-sale of tickets for Ed Sheeran: + - = ÷ x Tour – India will go live today, 27 October 2023 at 3 pm IST on BookMyShow and www.edsheeran.com.
