What was Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour?

Why was it called the Mathematics Tour?

Because it celebrated a whole run of albums named after mathematical symbols: + (2011), × (2014), ÷ (2017), = (2021) and − (2023). The official name was simply the five symbols in a row, +−=÷×, which is hard to say and harder to type - so fans, media and ticket sites called it the Mathematics Tour.

It is easy to mix up with the Subtract Tour. That was a separate 29-show run of arenas and theatres in 2023, where Ed played the − album in full with a band. The Mathematics Tour was the stadium tour happening at the same time, and it kept going for another two years.

How big was the Mathematics Tour?

Enormous. Over 188 shows it grossed about $875.7 million and sold about 8.8 million tickets, according to figures reported by Pollstar and Rolling Stone when it closed. Pollstar reported it as a record-breaking run. Over three and a half years it played stadiums on several continents, with the UK and Europe visited more than once.

The attendance number is the telling one: 8.8 million people is an average of roughly 47,000 a night across 188 shows. The current tour keeps a wide spread of price tiers too - see ticket prices for the LOOP Tour face values.

What was the Mathematics Tour stage like?

The signature was the round stage in the middle of the stadium floor, with the crowd on every side. Ed stood in the centre with his guitar and loop pedal surrounded by screens and lighting. Compared with the current show, it was the bigger spectacle, with more production and more visual moments.

The LOOP Tour keeps the idea of playing in the middle of the stadium - a 360°-style rotating main stage - but strips the show back, adding a small B-stage out in the crowd. The result is a show that is more about the songs and less about the production. Our what to expect guide covers the LOOP Tour stage in detail.

When and where did the Mathematics Tour end?

The final show was on September 7, 2025 in Düsseldorf, Germany, closing out a final run of German stadium nights. Five days later, on September 12, 2025, Ed released Play. The Oceania LOOP Tour dates had already been announced that July, and North America followed on September 18, 2025. There was barely a pause between the two eras.

Did the Mathematics Tour play the UK?

Yes - the UK and Europe had multiple stadium legs during the tour’s long run, and Ed also played homecoming shows at Portman Road in Ipswich in August 2025. That matters now because the LOOP Tour has not played UK or European stadiums at all, which is why a 2027 UK/Europe leg is rumoured. Nothing is announced; see our 2027 tour page for what is confirmed (currently nothing) and what is speculation.

Can I still buy Mathematics Tour tickets?

No. The tour is over, so any listing you find today for an Ed Sheeran stadium show is for the LOOP Tour, not the Mathematics Tour. If a site is still advertising “+−=÷×” or “Mathematics Tour” tickets, treat it with suspicion: at best it is out-of-date copy, at worst it is trying to sell something that does not exist. The same goes for “Subtract Tour” tickets - that run ended in 2023.

What you can buy is a seat at one of the 16 remaining LOOP Tour concerts. In the US, the official primary seller is Ticketmaster for most dates and SeatGeek for Arlington; TicketNetwork, which our buttons link to, is a resale marketplace where prices can be above or below face value. This autumn, US resale has been soft, so it is worth comparing both. Our resale tickets and cheap tickets guides explain how to shop safely.

What tour is Ed Sheeran on now?

The LOOP Tour. It opened in Auckland on January 16, 2026 and ends in Mexico City on December 11, 2026. As of September 23, 2026, 16 concerts remain: Foxborough, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Arlington, Hollywood, FL and Tampa in the US, then Santiago, Asunción, Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Mexico City. Every night is on our tour dates page.

How is the LOOP Tour different from the Mathematics Tour?

If you loved Ed on the Mathematics Tour, the LOOP Tour is the same artist doing what he does best with fewer distractions. Read our honest verdict or go straight to tickets.

Mathematics Tour: frequently asked questions