Ed Sheeran 'pink plaque' Trail

Ipswich is so proud that Ed Sheeran calls Suffolk home and famously supports our local team Ipswich Town Football Club!

As the County Town of Suffolk, Ipswich has a number of locations that Ed has visited to perform, promote his music, buy items to support his music, receive and honorary degree or watch his beloved ITFC play!

Sixteen venues have been highlighted as a walking trail of the town and each has a pink plaque for the star highlighting the venue’s association with the now global megastar. There are also two locations included that don’t have plaques, but are still special (see the last paragraph to find out why!)

There are four murals dedicated to Ed Sheeran around the town – inside Sailmakers Shopping Centre, near the football stadium, inside Tower Street Food Hall and the newest of these created last month inside the Buttermarket Shopping Centre. Some locations are venues he performed in before he was famous – The Steamboat Tavern, Halberd Inn (formerly McGinty’s), the Swan & Hedgehog (formerly The Swan), Christchurch Park for two Ipswich Music Days and Chantry Park of course for his last concerts in Ipswich a few years ago!

The Thomas Wolsey in St Peter’s Street was renamed The Old Phone earlier this year when Ed took over the pub for a private party to promote the song of this name on his new Play album to be released in September 2025. It’s again being re-imagined for Ed’s concerts in July so this venue needs to be visited to enjoy a pint, Mylo’s pizza and potato smiley faces that were served to guests at Ed’s private party!

The new giant pink mural of Ed in The Buttermarket Shopping Centre can’t be missed (it doesn’t have a plaque though as it’s so new!) and the Corn Exchange is included but doesn’t have a plaque in situ, as this venue is where the ceremony was held presenting Ed his honorary degree from the University of Suffolk (which is where the plaque can be found on the Waterfront campus!)