The Mathematics (+–=÷x) tour rolls on (photo: Ralph Larman)
Europe - Ed Sheeran kicked off his Mathematics (+–=÷x) tour, his largest to date, on 23 April in Croke Park Stadium, Dublin. Since then, the singer-songwriter has been playing stadiums across the UK and Ireland, with further dates planned across Central Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, Latin America and North America as part of his mammoth 2022 / 2023 world tour.
Continuing its long-term relationship with the artist, Colonel Tom Touring (CTT) is once again supporting the production, supplying over 1100sq.m of a variety of ROE Visual LED panels, all powered by Brompton Technology LED processing.
The spectacular 360-degree stage design incorporates a giant circular ‘halo’ video screen, comprising 462m2 ROE Vanish V8T high transparency outdoor LED panels, fixed over a 90m2 revolving LED stage built from ROE BM5 panels.
The stage is surrounded by six 30-metre-high masts, with 398m2 of ROE CB5 making up six plectrum-shaped, double sided IMAG screens dangling from the masts, and further 220m2 of ROE CB5 half panels completing the LED hoops around the outside of the masts. The giant LED set-up is powered by five active and one backup 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors, as well as 20 Tessera XD 10G data distribution units.
The tour’s video director Phil Mead has been working with Ed Sheeran for 11 years and still remembers the first time CTT used ROE Visual technology with Brompton LED processing.
“The first time we rolled out Brompton’s Tessera LED processors and ROE panels was on Ed’s last tour, the Divide Tour’ 2017 – 2019, that went out in March 2017,” says Mead. “Since then, that’s all we have been using – ROE screens in partnership with Brompton LED processing!”
After researching the LED processors available at the time, Mead and the team decided to invest in Brompton’s Tessera LED processors thanks to their functionality and company’s industry-renowned 24/7 customer support and strong focus on R&D and product roadmapping.
“We talked to Brompton at a trade show, and it was the roadmap and clear interest in technology innovation that we really liked,” explains Mead. “As the SX40s hadn’t been launched back then, we invested in M2s. Then, halfway through the Divide tour, the Tessera SX40 came out followed by the XD Data Distribution Units, so we upgraded the whole tour and switched to SX40’s. Adam [Callaway, Technical Solutions Manager] from Brompton came over to help us understand the key features of SX40 and oversee the integration.”
For a full production report on Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics tour, see the September issue of LSi – OUT NOW!

Latest Issue. . .