Suffolk is known for a few things. It’s aptly named ‘Suffolk Pink’ cottages, rolling British countryside and more famously, Ed Sheeran.

From busking on the streets of his hometown to making the bold move to London at just seventeen years old, Ed’s passion has never been in question. And although I knew what a talent he was, I don’t think I truly understood the breadth of it until I attended his recent Loop World Tour, right here in Sydney.

Ed kicked off his near three-hour set, by walking across an LED-light bridge that expanded onto a mini stage in the centre of the mosh pit, opening with You Need Me, I Don’t Need You, a reminder that his talent stretches far beyond acoustic love songs. No pre-recordings, no big band. Just Ed, his (many!) guitars and a trusty loop machine that certainly got a workout across the three nights. We were reminded on several occasions, that everything on the loop pedal was recorded live in that very moment and would be deleted after the show, never to be heard again.

And that’s the thing with a loop machine, there’s nowhere to hide and certainly no room for error. On one or two occasions, Ed stopped and restarted an intro that wasn’t quite in time, moments most of the audience probably wouldn’t have noticed but Ed’s perfectionism is exactly what makes him who he is.

Somewhere between the layered beats and stripped back acoustics, Accor Stadium began to feel less like a 80,000 people arena and more like a dimly lit pub in Suffolk. The kind where you’re wedged between friends, pint in hand watching a red-haired local with a guitar who doesn’t quite know he’s about to become a global superstar.

Sapphire and Castle On The Hill followed, the audience settling in as if we’d pulled up a stool for the night. A stripped-back version of The A Team, the song that launched his career felt particularly full circle, followed by Nina. Irish folk band Beoga joined him on stage for Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan.

Being Valentine’s Day, love was well and truly in the air. Ed played songs requested via QR code prior to the performance, a thoughtful gesture to his thousands of fans in the audience.

Between songs, he spoke candidly about his early twenties in London and the very real possibility of giving up his singing dreams and settling for being a songwriter. Even after his career exploded, he continued writing for others and still does to this day, which led him on to play a melody of songs like Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself  and One Direction’s Little Things. A nice reminder that some of the biggest pop songs began, with just Ed and his guitar.

Throughout the night, he gave us more than just music, he let us in on stories of who he was at different chapters of his life, speaking to us like old friends rather than a sea of thousands.

Ed finished strong with Shape of You, Azizam and Bad Habits and almost imperceptibly, the pub lights turned back on and we found ourselves back at Accor Stadium.