Optus Stadium, Perth

Premiering his new Loop tour in Australia, the crowd-pleasing British singer-songwriter navigates a few teething issues in an otherwise assured stadium outing

Before Ed Sheeran sets foot on stage, his origin story is already rolling. A pre-recorded video looms across the giant screen, as he narrates his own ascent: “I just pushed and pushed. I was so focused on seeing how far I could take being an acoustic singer-songwriter from Suffolk.”

Then the screen cuts. A hidden platform rises from the centre of the audience and Sheeran appears, charging into his 2011 track You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.