Ed Sheeran makes surprise appearance at Fleadh Cheoil

Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance yesterday at The Sky and The Ground pub in Wexford during the 2025 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Taking a break from his sold-out European Mathematics tour, the 34-year-old was joined in the packed-out pub by Irish musicians Beoga, Biird, Amble and Aaron Rowe.

He played an arrangement of hit songs, including Nancy Mulligan, which he wrote about his late Wexford-born grandmother, Anne Mary Sheeran.

Up Ed Sheeran. Up Wexford. Up The Fleadh pic.twitter.com/ZNJC9a5lyV

— Danny (@DannyLM_91) August 5, 2025

Sheeran has previously said he identifies culturally as Irish.

“I class my culture as Irish. I think that’s what I grew up with,” he said on The Louis Theroux Podcast.

“We'd spend all of our holidays in Ireland. My first musical experiences were in Ireland. I grew up with trad music in the house."

The event was part of a series of ‘Old Phone’ pop-up gigs Sheeran has been staging in pubs around the world, with previous stops in Ipswich, Boston and Coachella.

“We’re delighted to welcome Wexford man Ed Sheeran to The Sky & The Ground during The Fleadh Cheoil 2025," said Caolán Barron from the family-run pub.

"We’ve the spare room made up for him, and my mother has made him a chicken curry in case he needs feeding and all thanks to our closer partner Guinness for making it possible.”

This year's Fleadh Cheoil expects 750,000 attendees throughout the week, featuring performances by Kabin Krew, Seán Keane and Iarla Ó Lionáird.