Ed Sheeran Lighting It Up In The U.S.

NEW DATES AND LARGER VENUES ADDED TO BRITISH STAR’S FIRST-EVER HEADLINING NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

THANKS TO ENORMOUS POPULAR DEMAND;

“VH1 YOU OUGHTA KNOW TOUR WITH ED SHEERAN”

GETS UNDERWAY SEPTEMBER 8TH IN ORLANDO;

INTIMATE NYC DATE SET FOR JULY 24TH AT IRVING PLAZA COMPLETELY SOLD OUT;

“THE A TEAM” SCORES AT MULTI FORMAT RADIO NATIONWIDE

AFTER“+” ENTERS SOUNDSCAN/BILLBOARD 200 AT #5

Elektra recording artist Ed Sheeran is proving to be as much a phenomenon here in the U.S. as he is in his native England. In response to his rapidly increasing popularity, the British troubadour has just added a number of new dates to his upcoming North American headline tour, much of which had already sold out within minutes of going on sale.

The “VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran” will now get underway September 8th at Orlando’s Beacham Theatre, followed by newly announced stops in Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Columbus, Ohio (see attached itinerary). What’s more, several of the already sold-out shows – including Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, and non-“VH1 You Oughta Know Tour” dates in Toronto and Vancouver – have been upgraded to larger venues in order to accommodate Sheeran’s increasingly fervent fanbase.

As if all that weren’t enough, Sheeran’s intimate one-night-only event at New York’s famed Irving Plaza has completely sold out almost immediately after its recent announcement. Set for Tuesday, July 24th, the show precedes the long sold out “VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran” date at NYC’s much larger Terminal 5.

For presale information regarding all newly announced dates, fans are advised to sign up to the official Ed Sheeran mailing list at www.edsheeran.com. In addition to regular news updates and other exclusive announcements, new subscribers will receive a free download of Sheeran’s “THE ONE TAKE EP.”

The eagerly anticipated tour follows the recent chart success of Sheeran’s acclaimed debut album, “+.” Fueled by the hit single, “The A Team,” the album entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5 – the highest debut for a British solo artist’s first full-length album since 2009.

“The A Team” is currently blowing up at multi format radio outlets across America, including top 10 airplay at Triple A, top 20 airplay at Hot AC, and heavy rotation at SiriusXM. In addition, the single has received strong support from Clear Channel’s exclusive Artist Integration Program, the company’s groundbreaking artist development platform across CHR and Hot AC formats.

Likewise, Sheeran is a rising star on the video channels. He was recently MTV’s PUSH artist of the week and added to full rotation. In addition to headlining VH1’s You Oughta Know tour, “The A Team” music video has hit #1 on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown.

Along with its popular success, “+” has quickly earned Sheeran widespread acclaim, including rave reviews in such national publications as Entertainment Weekly and People, which awarded the album 3-and-a-half (out of 4) stars, noting that Sheeran’s “folkified tunes (evoke) James Blunt and Damien Rice” while also “(boasting) a bit o’ B-boy swagger.”

Furthermore, many of Sheeran’s musical peers have taken to Twitter to declare their own love for the album. Taylor Swift recently declared “+” to be her “favorite album right now,” while One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson went even further, pronouncing “+” his “favorite album of the last 12 months.”

Sheeran marked the U.S. release of “+” with visits to NBC’s TODAY and VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live. The appearances followed prior live performances on TBS’ Conan, NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Last Call with Carson Daly, and mtvU’s 2012 Woodie Awards extravaganza.

In addition, Sheeran heralded the album’s arrival with a pair of New York City headline shows, both of which sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale. The dates came hot on the heels of Sheeran’s stellar appearance at The Royal Diamond Jubilee Concert, where he celebrated the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign by sharing the stage with such rock royalty as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Sir Tom Jones.