By David Young-
Ed Sheeran has played to packed stadiums, collected Grammy Awards and turned intimate songs about love and heartbreak into some of the biggest records of the modern era. But at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships, the global superstar appeared to have only one thing on his mind: Pokémon.
More than 50,000 people attended the event each day, and organisers actually cancelled a popular limited-edition Pokémon pin giveaway because enormous queues created crowd-control and safety concerns. The event was also significant because 2026 marked Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, while the championships were the first Worlds to use the new Pokémon Champions game for the video-game competition
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In a surprise appearance at the finale of the championships, Sheeran took to the stage in front of an audience united not by pop music, but by a shared devotion to one of the world’s most enduring entertainment franchises. He performed one of his own songs, as fans might reasonably have expected from one of the planet’s biggest recording artists.
Then came the moment that made the appearance memorable.Sheeran launched into the theme song from the original Pokémon anime, transporting the crowd back to the late 1990s and the beginning of a cultural phenomenon that has since grown into one of the most recognisable franchises in the world.
For a man whose own music has become the soundtrack to weddings, first dances, heartbreaks and countless radio playlists, it was an unlikely choice. Yet it may also have been the most revealing song he could have performed.
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Sheeran’s relationship with Pokémon is not simply another celebrity endorsement dreamed up in a marketing department. The singer is, by his own account, a genuine fan — and his history with the franchise stretches across music, advertising, video games and some decidedly unconventional collaborations.
The 35-year-old British musician has previously appeared in Pokémon commercials and other promotional material, created music videos inspired by the franchise and had his music featured in Pokémon games. His involvement has repeatedly blurred the line between commercial partnership and personal enthusiasm.
Sheeran is not some anonymous pop star who happened to be handed a Pokémon-themed campaign because his name carries commercial weight. He has previously spoken about being selective over the brands with which he works, explaining that he prefers partnerships that have a genuine connection with his interests and life outside his career.
And, in a particularly telling twist, the relationship with Pokémon was reportedly not simply a case of the franchise approaching a suitably famous musician. Sheeran and his team were themselves interested in finding out whether there was a way for the two sides to work together.
The rest, as they say, is history. What makes the World Championships appearance particularly enjoyable is that Sheeran seemed to understand precisely where he was and who was watching him.
This was not a conventional concert audience waiting to hear Shape of You. It was a crowd immersed in the world of Pokémon, gathered for one of the most important events in the competitive calendar.
And instead of treating the franchise as a backdrop for another celebrity appearance, Sheeran leaned into it.
The decision to perform the original anime theme was almost tailor-made for the occasion. It was not the obvious choice for a global pop star, but it was the obvious choice for someone who genuinely understands the affection fans have for Pokémon.
There is something disarmingly human about watching one of the most commercially successful musicians of his generation put aside the grand machinery of his own career and sing a theme tune associated with childhood memories.
Sheeran has spent more than a decade establishing himself as a singular force in contemporary popular music. His breakthrough came with The A Team, but it was +, his debut studio album, that announced the arrival of a songwriter capable of crossing effortlessly between intimate acoustic performances and enormous mainstream success.
From there came a succession of global hits. Thinking Out Loud, Photograph, Castle on the Hill, Perfect, Galway Girl and Shape of You. The latter became one of the defining pop songs of the streaming era, while Perfect transformed from a romantic ballad into a global wedding.
A spokesperson from Pokesmin told The Eye Of Media.Com:“Ed’s connection with Pokémon goes far beyond the stage. He has been a genuine fan since childhood, so having him perform at the World Championships was a particularly fitting way to bring the weekend to a close.”
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