Ed Sheeran breaks U2's record for highest grossing tour of all time

The singer-songwriter pays tribute to his fans, saying: "Thanks so much for each and every one of you who have come to a show."

By Rajan Soni, news reporter,

Image: Sheeran thanked his fans on Instagram for their support throughout the tour

Ed Sheeran has thanked his fans after it was revealed that his Divide tour is now the most attended and highest grossing of all time.
The 28-year-old singer-songwriter paid tribute to his 31.2 million fans on Instagram, saying: "Thanks so much for each and every one of you who have come to a show.

"12 shows left, will never forget it x."

The tour kicked off back in March 2017 and will reach its climax after more than two years at Chantry Park in Sheeran's hometown of Ipswich later this month.
Sheeran will have spent a total of 893 days on the road with this tour, surpassing U2's previous record of 760 days.

Music magazine Pollstar reported that the tour set the record for the highest-grossing of all time with Friday's show in Hannover, Germany, pulling in an estimated $736.7m (£607m).

This again tops U2's record of $735.4m (£606m) set in 2011, despite Sheeran selling tickets for around 14% less on average than the Irish rock band.

More from Ed Sheeran

• Ed Sheeran opens up about crippling 'social anxiety'

• Ed Sheeran most-played artist of 2018 - without releasing any new music

• Ed Sheeran's 'wildlife pond' inspected by council after neighbours say it's a swimming pool

• Ed Sheeran's 'pond' at Suffolk home causes controversy

• Jury to decide whether Ed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye

• Ed Sheeran stops show to help fan propose to girlfriend at London gig

Sheeran has also leapfrogged U2's attendance record of 7.3 million.
By the time it ends, the Divide tour will have reached more than 8.5 million people across 43 countries.
Sheeran's manager Stuart Camp said, "What Ed has accomplished is truly incredible.
"To even be in the same ballpark as [U2] or spoken in the same sentence with a touring act like that is very humbling".

:: Listen to our latest Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The UK pop sensation has soared to become a cultural icon over the last eight years.
Both his album, No. 6 Collaborations Project, and his hit singles, Beautiful People and I Don't Care, claimed top spots in the UK charts last month.
The album, featuring collaborations with musicians including Justin Bieber, Eminem, Cardi B and Bruno Mars, is the fastest-selling of 2019 and is currently number one in the UK and the US.