Photo: Kendall Buhl/WBZ NewsRadio
IPSWICH Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Hundreds of Ed Sheeran fans lined up outside EBSCO Hall in Ipswich Friday hoping to get a glimpse of the British singer after he opened a pop-up pub there to celebrate his new song on his upcoming album with fans.
According to its website, "The Old Phone" pub, which opens for only two days starting Friday, is a "cozy, warming inviting Irish pub" where "memories are celebrated, and new ones are made." For the two days stint, they will be serving up some sliders, grill cheese, a variety of drinks, and, of course, Guinness.
"The Old Phone" pub is an ode to his new song of the same name that he wrote during his plagiarism lawsuit in 2023, the Grammy musician said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday.
Designer of the pub Cat Garcia-Menocal told WBZ NewsRadio that they tried to honor "Ed's roots and what he loves about being in a pub space and also the best that Ipswich, Mass. has to offer.” Sheeran's hometown is Ipswich, England.
“Our local rotary club has a structure relationship with them so it’s amazing he’s doing this," Ipswich, Mass. Town Manager Stephen Crane said. “We’re so excited to have him here, shooting a music video and making that connection.”
Photo: Kendall Buhl/WBZ NewsRadio
Photo: Kendall Buhl/WBZ NewsRadio
One of the producers of the event added that fans who received a text from Ed HQ for the timed-entry ticket were invited to the pub to be featured in a live video shoot.
When Sheeran made the announcement of the event on national television, it took Crane by surprise.
"[It] was a bit more publicity than we thought was going to happen, but we were able to make sure our plans are sized appropriately for that," he said. "But I also took it as a sign that he shared the same excitement that we do about coming here for this thing.”
To curb chaos and frenzy from passionate Sheerios, Sheeran's fandom name, Crane added that additional task force were on sight and road blocks in placed during the event.
The pop-up pub comes after Sheeran held a surprise performance at The Dubliner in South Boston on St. Patrick's Day.
Ed Sheeran's new studio album "Play" is set to be released later this year.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kendall Buhl (@WBZKendall) reports.