A new mural has been revealed at Marvel Stadium, celebrating Ed Sheeran’s three sold-out shows as part of his global ‘Loop’ tour.
The mural has been inspired by Marvel’s comic books to celebrate his arrival in Melbourne. The original artwork by acclaimed Australian artist Wayne Nichols depicts Sheeran equipped with his guitar as he faces off against the God of Thunder, Thor, famously played by Australia’s own Chris Hemsworth, who wields his all-powerful Mjölnir hammer.
The art has been brought to life in Marvel Stadium as a limited-time four-metre mural for fans and visitors to enjoy. Check it out below.
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Melbourne’s not the only city to welcome and honour Sheeran. Ahead of his sold-out Brisbane stadium shows, he visited the nearby town of Ipswich to sign a mural painted by local artist Duncan Mattocks, commissioned by Warner Music Australia last September to celebrate his eighth studio album, Play.
To commemorate the special occasion, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding presented Sheeran with the official mayoral chains of office at Suncorp Stadium, naming him as the honorary co-Mayor.
Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ tour kicked off in New Zealand last month, before making its way to Perth for two shows. It continued on to Sydney and Brisbane, with final shows in Melbourne and Adelaide over the next week.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ was at the opening show of his tour in Auckland. “Sheeran has truly found his stride by embracing his humble roots — covers, song requests, and freestyle sampling – and instilling them into his existing formula. On this tour, he’s the closest to his early self as he has been in a long time — and as a result, fans have never felt closer to him,” we wrote in our five-star review.
During his Perth show, Sheeran was joined on stage by Wheatus’ Brendan B. Brown – who has also just toured Australia – to sing the classic hit “Teenage Dirtbag”. Videos shared on social media showed the two artists smiling and performing together, blending Sheeran’s signature loop-pedal style with the nostalgic rock energy of the original performance.
Meanwhile in Sydney, he joined Beoga on stage at their intimate Paddington RSL show, to sing “Shape of You” off his 2017 album ÷ (Divide), which the Irish band helped co-write.
Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne have each been treated to pop-up stores in line with tour dates, which stock a selection of Sheeran’s music on vinyl alongside ‘Loop’ tour merch and exclusive designs by artists Cole Poska, Jeremy Dean, and Brodie Kaman.
Each day, the first 100 attendees upon store opening have had the opportunity to secure a limited edition poster. These prints have changed everyday and are exclusive to the three pop-up locations.
