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SINGAPORE – English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has taken his Mathematics Tour to new heights.
On Jan 24, he made history in Bhutan – a Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas – as the first international artiste to hold a concert in the country.
Addressing the crowd during his set, the 33-year-old said: “So, I’m told this is the first international concert ever in Bhutan and, hopefully, this is the first of many.”
He also posted on Instagram on Jan 25: “Had the honour to be the first ever international artiste to play Bhutan last night. What a gig, what a country, what a beautiful place with incredible people.”
Ticket prices ranged from 860 Bhutanese ngultrums (S$13.50) for the restricted view section to around 8,600 Bhutanese ngultrums for the best seats in the house. Rebellions Bhutan, a Bhutanese rap and music group, were the concert’s opening act.
“The concert serves as a platform to showcase Bhutan as a destination that blends culture and modern experiences while maintaining its unique identity,” says Ms Carissa Nimah, chief marketing officer at Bhutan’s Department of Tourism.
The concert also marked the start of the 2025 leg of Sheeran’s tour, which includes stops in countries like India, China and Germany, with concert dates running until September. The three-year tour kicked off in April 2022 in London and included stops in Paris, Auckland and Tokyo, as well as a performance in Singapore in February 2024.
Auckland was one of the stops in Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour, which kicked off in April 2022.PHOTO: ZACHARY WALTERS
Some 23,000 fans attended the concert held at Changlimithang Stadium, Bhutan’s national stadium, in capital city Thimphu. To add more capacity to the 15,000-seat venue, its football pitch was converted into three standing zones.
Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, as well as other members of the royal family, were also in attendance.
Sheeran’s Bhutan concert has attracted much global attention since its announcement in November 2024. But Ms Nimah says despite the new initiative to boost tourism, the country maintains its “high value, low volume” strategy.
To enter Bhutan, travellers need a visa which costs US$40 (S$53.97) and have to pay a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of US$100 a person a day.
“By inviting a global icon like Ed Sheeran, Bhutan aims to draw a wider audience of high-value travellers who are interested in exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” Ms Nimah adds.
Ms Evelyn Tay, who is in her 50s, was among a group of 15 Singapore travellers who watched the concert from the Zone A standing pit – the closest section to the stage.
She had booked a seven-day tour package with travel agency Druk Asia, which specialises in tours to Bhutan, for around US$3,600. It covered her airfare, accommodation, meals, guided tours, concert ticket and the SDF.
Ms Evelyn Tay (right) with her local guide at Ed Sheeran’s concert in Bhutan.PHOTO: COURTESY OF EVELYN TAY
“Visiting Bhutan has been on my wish list for more than 20 years, but I never pursued it seriously. Now that I’m not working, I can go to Bhutan on short notice, and there’s the added incentive that Ed Sheeran is performing,” says Ms Tay, who recently retired from a managerial role in the financial industry.
She found out about the concert and Druk Asia’s tour package in mid-January, and booked it a few days later. Although she is not a huge fan of Sheeran, she described the concert as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”, and says she enjoyed his energetic performance.
“I think the Ed Sheeran concert is an awakening for the Bhutanese, that they can also aspire to be on the global stage and be inspired to achieve more for their country,” says Mr Joni Herison, managing director of the Singapore-based Druk Asia.
Ed Sheeran in concert in Bhutan on Jan 24.PHOTO: DRUK ASIA
There are no direct flights from Singapore to Bhutan. Drukair, Bhutan’s national carrier, flies from Singapore to Bhutan via a technical stopover in Indian city Guwahati twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays. The total flight duration is around six hours and 15 minutes.
From Jan 27, Bhutan Airlines – the kingdom’s first private airline – will operate 16 direct flights between Bhutan and Hong Kong. It currently also operates out of cities like Bangkok, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi.
Its network expansion comes as Bhutan looks to enhance its accessibility as a tourism destination. The country’s development master plans include the construction of its second international airport – Gelephu International Airport – which is slated for completion by 2029.
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