Ed Sheeran to headline Wembley stadium

The singer will play the stadium on 10 July

Ed Sheeran performing at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam (Getty Images)

Chart-topping star Ed Sheeran has reached a huge new stage in his career - by announcing his first headline stadium show at Wembley.

Solo performers rarely play the huge outdoor stadium and his performance for an 80,000 crowd next year will be the only venue he plays in Europe for 2015.

The Sing and Thinking Out Loud hitmaker - who appeared at the Royal Variety Performance last week - played to 275,000 people during this year's sell-out arena gigs.

Sheeran, who has gone from strength to strength with his second album X, will headline Wembley Stadium on July 10. He already has some experience of the venue, having appeared down the bill for the Capital Summertime Ball in June.

Sheeran said: “I've made no secret recently of my ambition to play Wembley Stadium on my own in front of 80,000 people, so I am absolutely over the moon to be able to announce it's going to happen next summer. It's going to be amazing, I just can't wait.”

Steve Tilley, of promoter Kilimanjaro, said: “Ed's success is an incredible story and it's just an honour to be involved.”

Tickets for O2 priority customers go on sale on November 26, and from November 28 for the general public.

PA