Chris Hemsworth shocks 70,000 fans with surprise Ed Sheeran concert appearance
In a first for Hemsworth, the actor took the stage to drum for Sheeran during his concert in Romania on August 24, 2024. Photo / @teddysphotos
After a surprise appearance at an Ed Sheeran concert this weekend, the Aussie actor can now add “drummer” to his résumé.
When fans gathered at Romania’s National Arena for Ed Sheeran’s The Mathematics Tour concert this weekend, it’s safe to say they were not expecting a surprise guest - in the form of Chris Hemsworth, that is.
As illustrious as his career may be, the Australian actor, 41, had never added “musician” to his list of credentials - until he sat behind the drum kit and bashed out Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud to a crowd of almost 70,000 on Saturday night.
The Thor star joined Sheeran on stage as part of an upcoming episode for the second season of Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, a National Geographic original series that documents Hemsworth’s exploration of how to live better for longer.
The first season, released on Disney+ in 2022, saw the actor embark on a raft of challenges and consult leading experts to “push himself to new limits” and “stop the diseases of old age before they take hold”, according to the show’s synopsis.
In a video shared to his Instagram on Saturday, Sheeran, 33, explained that Hemsworth had learned the drums for an episode that will explore how playing an instrument may benefit cognitive health.
“He came to visit me, and he’s learned drums,” Sheeran said, with Hemsworth adding: “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’ll be nice to put this one to bed.”
As part of that journey, Hemsworth also took to the stage with Sheeran at Romania’s National Arena in Bucharest to put his new skills into practice.
According to the footage, Sheeran introduced the Thor actor with the line: “He’s been playing with us the whole time - will you make some noise for Chris Hemsworth!”
The audience was captured erupting into raucous applause following the rendition of Sheeran’s 2014 hit.
In footage from after the show, Sheeran is seen praising Hemsworth’s efforts before awarding him with a participation trophy - a reward the actor brands as “awesome”.
Fans of both Sheeran and Hemsworth were in rapture over the unlikely pairing, with many taking to social media to share their joy over the surprise moment.
One of the top comments on Sheeran’s video exclaimed: “Imagine you’re at [an] Ed Sheeran concert having the time of your life and then you find out Thor has been playing the drums the whole time?”
“Like, he could not have got any hotter but just did,” a second joked, with a third adding: “This wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card, but it should [have] been.”
One fan suggested it was now Sheeran’s turn to try something new in support of Hemsworth, commenting: “Okay Ed, now it’s your turn... try something new to back up Chris in some way, lol. I wish I could have seen it.”
While the episode does not have a premiere date, the second season of Limitless with Chris Hemsworth is set to drop on Disney+ in 2025.
The second instalment will see Hemsworth and American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky return as executive producers alongside a wider team.
In 2023, it was revealed Hemsworth had overhauled his lifestyle to prioritise his brain health after learning he had an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The actor made the discovery through genetic testing performed on the Limitless docuseries, which determined his chance of developing the condition was eight to 10 times higher than average.
Hemsworth and his wife of 13 years, Spanish model Elsa Pataky, share daughter India and twin sons, Tristan and Sasha.
Meanwhile, Sheeran’s three-year The Mathematics Tour (also referred to as The +–=÷× Tour) will next stop in Sofia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. The tour is set to conclude in Dusseldorf, Germany on September 7 next year.
The hitmaker last appeared in Aotearoa in 2023, performing one show at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on February 2 before two dates at Auckland’s Eden Park on February 10 and 11.