Ed Sheeran concert anticipated to set new attendance record for Optus Stadium

More than 70,000 fans are expected to attend the final leg of English pop star Ed Sheeran's Mathematics tour at Optus Stadium on 12th March - anticipated to set a new attendance record for the venue.

The Perth concert will wrap up the artist’s 12-date The Mathematics Tour of Australasia which has seen him perform at some of Australasia’s largest stadiums in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Sheeran recently broke multiple Australian records with his Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Concerts where the combined attendance across his two shows was at almost 215,000.

Sheeran broke the national record for attendance at a ticketed concert on Thursday 2nd March with upwards of 105,000 tickets sold. This was followed by another record-breaking effort on Friday 3rd March, when more than 109,500 fans packed the venue - setting a new record for the second consecutive night.

When Sheeran last toured Australia with Frontier Touring, in 2018, more than one million tickets were sold with his Divide tour that year also setting a new record of 18 stadium dates across Australia and New Zealand, beating AC/DC’s old record of 14.

WA Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman notes "The Ed Sheeran concert will cap off a massive few days for the arts in Western Australia, with concerts by Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper, and Bjork taking place over the weekend.

"Western Australia is really bringing it home for the fans at the moment, with this event expected to set an attendance record for Optus Stadium, shortly after UFC 284 set a new record for RAC Arena.

"With a host of major sporting events on the horizon, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for showcasing our magnificent State."

More than 1700 staff will work the event, where some 7,000 soft drinks will be served, about 18,000 serves of chips sold and more than 6000 burgers, pies, salads and sushi consumed.

Fans are reminded that ticket scalping is illegal in Western Australia after legislation introduced by the State Government passed State Parliament, delivering on an election commitment. Re-selling of concert and event tickets is now restricted to a maximum 10% mark-up from the original price.

Every ticket to the event includes public transport and fans are being urged to use the network to get to the venue.

An additional 700 bus and train services will be put on to get people to and from Optus Stadium, while around 400 extra Public Transport Authority (PTA) staff will be rostered on to support the event including train and bus drivers, and transit guards.

Fans are being advised to avoid driving with road closures in place around the venue. There will be no drop-offs allowed in and around the stadium, as is standard on major event days.

Fans are also encouraged to download their concert tickets to the wallet on their smartphone to ensure entry is as smooth as possible. With high quality support acts, fans are urged to get to the stadium early.

Image. Credit: Optus Stadium