Overwhelming response to this song and video. Releasing something this personal always feels really bare and open, but I always find the deeper and more honest I go with lyrics, the more people connect to it. Also, who knew I looked so amazing in a wedding dress. The sound is up now if you wanna start making videos directed to your exes with the song, I wanna see em all, get creative gang

Overwhelming response to this song and video. Releasing something this personal always feels really bare and open, but I always find the deeper and more honest I go with lyrics, the more people connect to it. Also, who knew I looked so amazing in a wedding dress. The sound is up now if you wanna start making videos directed to your exes with the song, I wanna see em all, get creative gang

 

 

 

“From Divide to Mathematics”: The Vision, the Team, and the Dream Realized

 

When Ed Sheeran announced that Divide would conclude in 2019, many thought he would rest, recalibrate, and return with a fresh album and tour cycle. But behind the scenes, a new vision was already gestating — one he later named Mathematics, or stylized + − = ÷ ×. In a message to fans, Sheeran reflected, “When Divide tour ended in 2019, I had already planned Mathematics in my head.”

 

That simple sentence opens a door into the mindset of an artist who is always looking ahead. In many ways, Mathematics was not just an album or a tour — it was the engineering of an idea, a structural and emotional architecture built to expand what a solo artist can present live. In particular, Sheeran’s ambition to perform “in the round” — a 360-degree crowd view — became a central spine of that vision.

 

But the journey from idea to reality was anything but straightforward. The message goes on to describe how he and his team devised a “cable knit system” to suspend the PA (public address, the main speaker system) overhead so that sightlines would be open — no massive speaker towers blocking the view. He noted that this system was “complex, and had been done only once before as a permanent structure by someone else, but no one had attempted to make it portable, and built and rebuilt every week.”

 

This statement underscores two things: ambition, and reliance on a team. He explicitly praises his touring crew: “they have made the impossible happen week in, week out, and are some of the hardest working people in the business.” And he expresses gratitude to the musicians, guests, openers, the fans (10 million!), and finally his family: “Cherry, Ly and Jupes, my girls, my everything.”

 

He closes that message with an acknowledgment that Mathematics is fully over — “what a finale” — and a look ahead: “Play is out Friday, and the next decade is dedicated to Stereo, on a Loop.”

 

In what follows, I aim to unfold the many layers behind that message: the technical challenge, the artistic stakes, the human stories, the legacy, and the transition to what comes next.

 

 

—

 

The Ambition: A 360° Vision and the Cable Knit System

 

Why “In the Round”?

 

Concerts in the round (i.e. with the stage at center and the audience surrounding) carry symbolic and experiential weight. They evoke ideas of intimacy, connection, and breaking down the traditional separation between performer and crowd. Historically, U2 is a reference point: their 360° tour design remains iconic. Sheeran cites conversations with Michael Gudinski about that concept as a spark.

 

Sheeran, as a solo performer with loop pedals, guitar, and voice, has always been intimate in scale. To bring that intimacy into a stadium or arena while preserving openness and sightlines is a bold challenge. The idea of the in-the-round show aligns with a desire to make every seat feel part of the moment — to reduce “back of stage” disadvantages and give more fans a panoramic experience.

 

The Cable Knit System: Engineering an Ambitious Dream

 

To realize that, the touring team needed a way to suspend the PA system overhead, minimizing structural elements on stage that block views. Traditional stadium setups often use “main speaker towers” or columns, which obstruct sightlines or force the audience to orient to one side. For an in-the-round setup, those are liabilities.

 

Hence the concept: a “cable knit system” — a network of cables, tensioned and engineered, that essentially “weaves” a net of supports capable of holding the weight of the PA rig, lighting, effects, while distributing stresses to peripheral supports or venue structures. The metaphor of “knit” is apt: many threads working together in tension.

 

What makes this especially challenging is portability. Permanent installations (e.g. in fixed arenas or architectural features) may support such designs, but to build, dismantle, and rebuild weekly in different cities is a vastly greater logistical challenge. Sheeran notes that “no one had attempted to make it portable, and built and rebuilt every week.”

 

We know that Ed’s +–=÷× (Mathematics) tour spanned 188 shows across five continents, making it one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time: $875.7 million in ticket sales, 8.8 million attendance. That scale is the backdrop to the engineering challenge: the system had to be reliable, safe, repeatable, and adaptable to varying venues and configurations.

 

The Meyersound labs Facebook post echoes the marvel: “The Ed Sheeran in-the-round ‘+ – = ÷ x’ (‘Mathematics’) tour is impressive and an engineering marvel to say the least.”

 

In interviews and behind-the-scenes content (for example, MAking of – Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour video) engineers describe the rigging, the fixtures, the dynamic weight loads, wind tolerances, redundancy systems, and safety protocols necessary for a 360 deployment.

 

Thus, the cable knit system is not just a technical footnote; it is a scaffolding of intent — the physical manifestation of the vision to bring fans closer, from all sides, under one frame.

 

 

—

 

The Team: From Idea to Reality, Every Night

 

Sheeran’s message pays homage to those behind the curtain. “My touring team are incredible… they have made the impossible happen week in week out.” He acknowledges that behind every seamless show lies countless hours, challenges, improvisations, and perseverance.

 

Roles & Challenges Behind the Scenes

 

Let’s break down some of the essential elements such a tour demands — and the human dimension behind each:

 

1. Rigging crews & structural engineers

 

The cable knit system requires precise installation, alignment, testing, and safety checks.

 

Each venue may have different ceiling heights, roof trusses, anchor points, or constraints. The team must adapt designs accordingly.

 

Redundancy (backup cables, safety systems) is critical — one failure could threaten crowd safety.

 

They must coordinate with local riggers, venue staff, and regulatory inspections.

 

 

 

2. Audio, lighting, and backline techs

 

The distributed overhead PA must deliver consistent audio coverage — sampling, delays, speaker alignment all become more complex in an in-the-round setup.

 

Lighting rigs also need to be co-designed so as not to block sightlines; moving heads, trusses, LED walls must integrate into the cable architecture.

 

Backline (guitars, pedals, drums, any onstage instruments or loops) must be precisely placed to work with the circular stage arrangement.

 

 

 

3. Stagehands, operations & stage management

 

Building and tearing down daily in different cities demands highly choreographed crew logistics.

 

Coordination of load-in, soundcheck, safety checks, final rehearsal, show operations, and tear-down with speed and precision is essential.

 

Unexpected issues — cable tension variations, venue quirks, weather, rigging delays — must be solved on the fly.

 

 

 

4. Tour management, production planning, logistics

 

The routing of freight, shipping the cable system parts, negotiating venue details, insurance, backup options, labor regulations across countries — all are massive undertakings.

 

Continuity and quality control demand strong leadership, communication, and redundancy planning.

 

 

 

5. Musicians, openers, guest artists

 

Sheeran credits “the amazing musicians I share the stage with week in week out, and the guests and openers I’ve had the honour of having on this run.”

 

In a configuration where stage space is precious and orientation matters, coordinating where each performer stands, moves, and hears from monitors is delicate.

 

 

 

6. Safety, compliance, and local coordination

 

For each venue, local regulations, safety inspections, permits, and certification must be satisfied.

 

Crowd safety, emergency egress, weather contingencies, and redundancy systems are paramount.

 

 

 

 

To make it week after week is a testament to discipline, mutual trust, and shared faith in the vision. The touring crew is constantly dealing with fatigue, exhaustion, and stress — but their ability to deliver consistency across continents is a tribute to their professionalism.

 

 

—

 

Gratitude, Legacy, and the Human Heart

 

In his message, Sheeran does more than recount logistics; he grounds the entire enterprise in gratitude.

 

To the fans: “Thank you to the 10 million fans who have moved heaven and earth to come to these shows. These shows don’t happen without you.”

 

To his family: “Cherry, Ly and Jupes, my girls, my everything. This tour was made more incredible by being able to share my dream coming true with the 3 people I love most in the world.”

 

To his crew and collaborators: The repeated “thank you” underscores his recognition that a solo artist rarely stands alone on a massive tour.

 

 

He calls the Mathematics tour “the best professional experience of my life.” That level of emotional intensity is rare. It suggests that beyond commercial success, there was meaning, growth, challenge, connection, and creative fulfillment.

 

 

—

 

The Scale & Success of the +−=÷× (“Mathematics”) Tour

 

To place this in context:

 

The +–=÷× Tour (Mathematics Tour) ran from 2022 to 2025 across five continents.

 

It comprised 188 shows total.

 

It reportedly grossed $875.7 million in ticket sales — making it one of the highest-earning tours of all time.

 

Attendance reached 8.8 million.

 

Sheeran broke local attendance records in several markets: for instance, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 108,000 and 110,000 on consecutive nights.

 

Multi-night sold-out shows at Wembley, SoFi Stadium, and more cemented the scale and reach.

 

 

These numbers are more than statistics. They show that the engineering, the risk, the vision, and the human effort all translated into mass audience impact and financial success. But merely listing numbers does not capture the personal journeys behind every show.

 

 

—

 

The Emotional Arc: From Divide to Finale, and What Comes Next

 

The Transition from Divide to Mathematics

 

Divide (2017–2019) was itself a tremendous tour — 260 shows, high grossing, wide reach. But Sheeran acknowledges that by the time the Divide tour ended, his mind was already turning to the next chapter. “I had already planned Mathematics in my head.” That suggests a continuity of thought, an artistic momentum rather than a reset.

 

The years between tours are times of writing, recording, refining. But for Sheeran, the blueprint for Mathematics was forming early — conceptually, structurally, logistically.

 

The Finale & Emotional Closure

 

In the message, he states, “Mathematics is fully over now, what a finale.” The word “finale” matters — it’s not just an ending but a climax, a moment of closure. After years of touring, building, iterating, and refining, the last night becomes emblematic: testing what was learned, celebrating what was created, and letting go — so a new cycle can begin.

 

He goes on to say, “Play is out Friday, and the next decade is dedicated to Stereo, on a Loop.” That statement is a pivot: the future is not open-ended. It has a direction: Loop Tour, Stereo, on a Loop, Play. In that, we see how Mathematics was not an end but a bridge in his career narrative.

 

The Role of Family & Intimacy

 

Touring — especially at the scale Sheeran has done — can be both exhilarating and isolating. The gratitude to Cherry (his wife), Lyra and Jupiter (his daughters) underscores a grounding force. Sharing this dream with his closest family imbues it with personal meaning beyond fame and commerce.

 

His message: “These shows don’t happen without you … the best professional experience of my life.” It’s as much an emotional testament as a public acknowledgment.

 

 

—

 

Technical Reflections: What It Takes to Produce the Improbable

 

The technical and logistical backbone of Mathematics is part of what makes this story compelling. Here are deeper reflections on what such a tour demands:

 

Venue Compatibility & Adaptation

 

No two arenas or stadiums are identical. Roof structures differ, mounting points differ, heights differ, safety codes differ. The cable knit system must be modular and adaptable, with variant spans, tension zones, anchor points, and contingency supports.

 

Designing a system that can flex to different shapes, load profiles, wind tolerances, and safety margins demands rigorous FEA (finite element analysis), prototyping, redundant systems, and regular inspections.

 

Speed, Reliability & Redundancy

 

Because the tour route is dense and the calendar unforgiving, load-ins and load-outs must happen swiftly. The crew must be able to strike, transport, reassemble, and test within tight windows. This requires:

 

Modular components

 

Preassembled substructures

 

Standardized connections and quick-lock fittings

 

Rigorous checklists and test protocols

 

Backup cables, spare parts, and redundancy for critical elements (you do not want a single cable failure to introduce risk)

 

 

Audio & Coverage Complexity

 

Suspended overhead arrays must provide consistent coverage with minimal phase cancellations, uniform SPL (sound pressure level), and proper delay networks for distance zones. In round stage settings, the “front” is every direction, so audio engineers must design for full 360 coverage.

 

Additionally, cross-stage delays, reflection control, and interference must be managed dynamically.

 

Lighting & Visual Integration

 

The lighting rig must integrate with the cable system without obstructing views or interfering with structural members. Moving heads, LED modules, screens, visual effects devices all must be coordinated. The visual design must take into account audience sightlines from all angles.

 

Health, Safety & Certification

 

Every cable, every anchor, every connection must be safety-certified. Local engineering inspections may require load tests, certificates, liability insurance, regulatory compliance, and contingency plans. Weather (wind load, rain, lightning) must be factored.

 

Fatigue, Maintenance & Crew Wellbeing

 

Running 188 shows over multiple continents places wear and tear not only on gear but on people. Parts must be inspected, cables monitored for wear, safety checks repeated, crew shifts managed to avoid burnout, and contingency staffing kept in reserve.

 

 

—

 

The Human Stories: Turning Vision Into Shared Experience

 

Beyond the machinery and logistics are the human stories:

 

Crew problem-solving on the fly: In one city, a truss point doesn’t align, or local rigging constraints force improvisation. The team must adapt without compromising safety — a moment of tension and ingenuity.

 

Musician camaraderie: Being on tour for years with supporting musicians, openers, guest artists forges deep bonds. Those shared late nights, backstage conversations, surprise duets, and travel collateral moments build emotional texture.

 

Fan encounters: Fans traveling from far-flung places, sometimes crossing countries, to experience a show. For many, seeing a show in the round, with a new kind of intimacy, becomes a memories-for-life moment.

 

Family support: The strain of touring (absences, travel) is mitigated when family can accompany or partake in parts of the journey, providing emotional sustenance and purpose beyond the stage.

 

 

In a sense, each show is a microcosm of trust — the artist trusts the crew, the crew trusts the systems, the fans trust the spectacle, and everyone trusts that the vision will cohere that night.

 

 

—

 

The Finale, the Announcement & What the Future Holds

 

The emotional message that prompted this article comes from the conclusion of that era. Sheeran’s words not only looked back but also forward:

 

“Mathematics is fully over now, what a finale.”

 

“Play is out Friday, and the next decade is dedicated to Stereo, on a Loop.”

 

 

He frames Play as imminent and the next decade as dedicated to Loop Tour and Stereo, on a Loop. That signals a new chapter, perhaps integrating what was learned on Mathematics — bigger technical ambitions, new spatial paradigms, or reimagined live formats.

 

The transition is poetic: after pushing a bold architectural vision in Mathematics, the next era may well blend those possibilities into a more refined, loop-based, perhaps immersive experience.

 

 

—

 

Interpretation & Significance: Why This Message Matters

 

This message to fans operates on multiple levels:

 

1. Artist transparency

 

It reveals technical challenges, human effort, and emotional stakes. Fans gain insight not just into the result (the tour) but into the process.

 

 

 

2. Acknowledgment of others

 

The repeated gratitude to crew, musicians, openers, family, and fans touches on humility and collective achievement.

 

 

 

3. Closure and anticipation

 

By declaring Mathematics “fully over” and previewing the next era, the message offers emotional closure while exciting fans for what’s next.

 

 

 

4. Framing legacy

 

The narrative becomes: Divide → Mathematics → Play / Loop → what comes after. It positions Mathematics as a phase, not a destination.

 

 

 

5. A call to memory

 

For fans who lived through the tour, the message invites reflection. For those yet to see it, it becomes an artifact of what was achieved.

 

 

 

 

In many ways, the message is a valedictory address — part thank-you speech, part artistic thesis, part roadmap.

 

 

—

 

What We Can Learn & What People Will Remember

 

From this message and the journey it encapsulates, here are some enduring takeaways:

 

Vision matters: A tour isn’t just about setlists or hits — it can be an expression of space, connection, and innovation.

 

Ambition requires trust: To attempt something new (portable cable knit systems, radical stage design) demands confidence in your collaborators.

 

Gratitude grounds greatness: Acknowledging the many who labor behind the scenes humanizes even the grandest spectacle.

 

Transitions have power: Recognizing when one era ends and another begins gives the narrative of a career shape and resonance.

 

Legacy is layered: Fans remember not just songs and performances, but how shows felt, how moments surprised them, how the artist communicated.

 

 

When future generations look back at the Mathematics tour, they may see it not just as a high-revenue spectacle but as a turning point in what a solo artist can present live — an experiment in circular spatiality, technical daring, and human scale.

 

 

—

 

Closing Reflections

 

That message — “When Divide tour ended in 2019, I had already planned Mathematics in my head…” — is a window into how creative momentum works. For Ed Sheeran, touring is not just a way to perform an album; it’s an iterative design challenge, a human experiment, a dialogue with space and audiences.

 

The technical ambition of the cable knit system is breathtaking. The emotional gratitude is sincere. The legacy is significant. And what lies ahead — Play, Loop, Stereo — feels poised to build on what Mathematics made possible.