Ed Sheeran surprise Ipswich gig featured in Disney documentary

A new documentary by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran features an impromptu gig he performed in Ipswich.

A film crew followed the musician as he bought a guitar and then performed on the steps of the town hall, on the Cornhill, last October.

It is being broadcast in the four-part series, The Sum of It All, streaming on Disney+.

John Fender, owner of Music World on Queen Street, said locals were treated to "a proper free concert".

In the documentary, Sheeran opens up about the highs and lows of his global career, including becoming a father, the health of his wife Cherry Seaborn and the death of his best friend, DJ and music producer Jamal Edwards.

The 32-year-old grew up in Framlingham in Suffolk, still has a home there and has been a lifelong Ipswich Town fan.

Mr Fender recalled Sheeran's arrival in his store on the day of the Ipswich gig, adding: "It was a good day."

"He was in the shop for about an hour with the film crew and we were all miked up, all the staff members and my wife," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"He was such a down-to-earth nice guy.

"We're a bit more used to him in Suffolk and Ipswich and after a couple of seconds we were chatting about music and guitars, and he was looking around the shop.

"I had to look away when he was putting his PIN number in the card machine because I just found myself staring down at it.

"That was quite surreal."

Mr Fender said that after buying a guitar and an amp, shop staff locked up and walked with Sheeran and the film crew towards the Cornhill.

"He walked out with the guitar on his back and amp in his hand," he said.

"He said 'I hope people are going to start coming or I'll just be playing for you lot' - pointing at us. As soon as he started playing people starting building up.

"By five minutes in, it was pretty packed."

Mr Fender said Sheeran had posted about buying the guitar on his Instagram page, which seemed to immediately attract interest in the town.

"It was a brilliant buzz," he said.

"He played maybe nine or 10 songs in the end. It was a proper free concert."

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