Ed Sheeran announces 2012 UK tour - tickets on sale Weds 25th Jan

Ed Sheeran

Affable, chart-topping Ron Weasley of pop Ed Sheeran has had quite a year. His debut studio record '+' has topped the UK charts, selling around a million copies in the process, and the first three singles taken from the record have all made the UK top five, with a fourth, 'Drunk', released today.

As if that wasn't enough, he's picked up four Brits nominations - Best Male, Best Breakthrough, Best Single and Best Album. He's having the time of his short life (Ed's still only 20). What makes for a refreshing change is that Sheeran has made it this far without the help of TV talent shows, instead opting for hard work. And the thing about hard work is that it tends to pay off.

There have been a handful of self-released albums and EPs, slots supporting Nizlopi (remember that?) and a prolific gig rate (in 2009, when just 18 years old, Sheeran played more than 300 shows). In LA, in 2010, he impressed actor and singer Jamie Foxx at an open mic night. The Oscar-winner invited Sheeran to stay, and record, at the actor's home.

And so it began. The rollercoaster that is Ed Sheeran, via YouTube and a clutch of celebrity endorsements (including Elton John), will be stopping off at the Brit Awards 2012 in a month's time and you'd be a mug to bet against him picking up at least one gong.

All of which means Ed Sheeran is in demand. So, when it was announced today that he'll be playing a headline tour in the autumn, social media went briefly crazy and the internet had to go outside for some air.

But fear not, from midday on Wednesday 25th January we will have tickets for Sheeran's highly anticipated UK tour which kicks off at the Hammersmith Apollo on 15th October, priced from around £17 to £25 (full gig list below).

Ahead of the UK shows, Ed will be getting the SPF 50 out for slots at Mallorca Rocks 2012 and Ibiza Rocks 2012, as well as a Forestry Commission Live Music 2012 gig in Thetford Forest. We have tickets available for most of these dates, as well as for the Brits (£70).

Stewart Darkin