Ed Sheeran knows what it is like to live in a small city, so understands the "kerfuffle" his Easter visit to Dunedin is causing.
The British pop star played his first two New Zealand shows in Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium during the weekend and has one more at the same venue tonight before he flies south for his three Dunedin shows at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Up to 60,000 people are expected to pack into the city over the Easter weekend for his three concerts. The city is preparing to welcome them and Sheeran with open arms, holding a weekend-long festival dedicated to the pop star.
Part of the city centre will be blocked off to vehicles and the Dunedin City Council is encouraging people to ditch their cars and use public transport or walk instead.
Commuter train travel is also returning to the city for the weekend, with a train running between Mosgiel and Dunedin on the day of the concerts.
Sheeran, who lives in the English city of Ipswich, told the Otago Daily Times he understood what it was like for music fans in smaller cities and why there was such a fuss over his visit.
Ipswich, with a population of about 130,000, was usually bypassed when big-name artists toured the United Kingdom, Sheeran said.
"I come from a same-sized town in England and no-one ever tours there.
"We got Elton John when I was 13 or 14 and the Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers) came when I was 16, I think, but that’s about it.
"So no-one ever tours there, and so I can understand it from the standpoint of being a kid and artists not coming through."
Sheeran has been to New Zealand on six occasions but has never been to Dunedin.
"I’m really looking forward to it."
Sheeran said he would take advantage of the day off between his first and second shows to explore the city.
"That’s all I want to do. Obviously I’ve got the gigs there and I’ve seen Auckland before, I’ve seen Wellington before, I’ve seen Christchurch, but I’ve never been to Dunedin. So I want to see all there is to see and I want to eat all there is to eat."
As for the city’s $8000 mural, Sheeran said he thought the artist Tyler Kennedy Stent’s watercolour version of him on a Bath St wall was "fantastic".
"I think the guy has done a really really good job. It looks fantastic and if it makes people happy, then good."
Tickets are still available for Sheeran’s Dunedin shows.
