Pub to become Ed Sheeran pop-up for stadium gigs

A pub in which Ed Sheeran staged a surprise gig will once again be "completely rebranded" in of the singer's three homecoming shows.

The Thomas Wolsey, in Ipswich, was transformed into the Old Phone, named after one of the 34-year-old's latest singles, last month.

Sheeran, who grew up in Framlingham, then performed an intimate secret set in the watering hole, which was decorated with photographs of the artist and memorabilia.

Landlord Damon Jeffery revealed it will once again become a Sheeran-themed pop-up pub for his three concerts at Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium in July.

"I am really stoked and really looking forward to it, I just think it's going to be mental – we're going fully Ed and fully Ipswich for the weekend," he told the BBC.

"We have a lot of people coming from all over the world for the gigs so if we can sing and shout about Ipswich and the pub then [that will be great].

"It is going to be really good fun and we are going to make a really big song and dance of the whole weekend."

Over the weekend of 11, 12 and 13 July, the pub's upstairs, where Sheeran hung out before his scaled-down gig, will feature an "amazing" gallery.

It will boast more than 100 photos from the show while unseen videos of him rehearsing and performing will be projected onto the walls.

Anyone who has a ticket for the Shape of You singer's Ipswich shows will be able to collect two free limited edition bar coasters on the days of the gigs from the pub.

Local bands will also be performing and a Sheeran impersonator is expected to make a special appearance.

"Even if you didn't get tickets for the gigs that weekend you can still come and be part of it and experience part of it," added Mr Jeffery.

"We will be completely rebranded again, the outside signs will go up, the Ed Sheeran pictures will go up and his Star Wars stuff will go back on the bar.

"And when he did the gig before, he requested potato smiley faces, they're something he had as a child, so they will be on the menu as well."

Mr Jeffery said the tie in had been "priceless", especially at a time when the hospitality businesses continued to fight to stay afloat.

"It has had a really positive knock on effect but we still have to keep trying in order to keep surviving," he said.

"We are still a pub and we are still struggling, so we've had to ground ourselves, but this will be a nice financial boost."

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