Ed Sheeran to become first western artist to perform in Bhutan

Ed Sheeran, a multiple Grammy winner with nine Billboard Top 10 hits, is set to add a unique achievement to his career: he will be the first Western artist to perform in Bhutan. On January 24, 2025, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will take the stage at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital. Sheeran announced the concert on Instagram, greeting his Bhutanese fans with 'Kuzuzampola,' a formal way of saying 'Hello' in Dzongkha, Bhutan’s national language."

Bhutan, a landlocked Buddhist monarchy with a population of approximately 700,000, began gradually opening to the world in the 1970s. Visitors must pay a $100-per-day fee—a policy that supports education and healthcare while maintaining Bhutan's 'high value, low impact' tourism approach.

Despite its strategic location between China and India, Bhutan remains low-profile internationally. Few embassies exist, and most foreign relations are managed through India. Even today, international chains like Starbucks and McDonald's are absent, and television broadcasts only began in 1999.

Thimphu is noted for being the world’s only national capital without traffic lights, where a uniformed police officer directs traffic at the city's single roundabout. Before Sheeran’s concert, Changlimithang Stadium’s most notable event was the live broadcast of the 2011 royal wedding between King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema. The stadium hosted the 2003 'Other Final,' a soccer match where Bhutan defeated Montserrat 4-0 to determine FIFA's lowest-ranked national team.

A Bhutanese government official reported that tickets for Sheeran's concert are nearly sold out, with 90% of the 15,000 seats already booked. Tickets cost $10, a modest amount in a country where the average annual income is just $1,387. Following his historic performance in Bhutan, Sheeran will continue his tour through major cities in India and the Middle East.