Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, United Kingdom. He is a multiple Grammy Award recipient.
Ed Sheeran's Stance on the War in Ukraine
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ed Sheeran publicly supported Ukraine. He took part in major benefit initiatives and actively collaborated with Ukrainian musicians.
Participation in Benefit Concert
On March 29, 2022, Ed Sheeran performed at the Concert for Ukraine charity event in Birmingham. The raised funds were donated toward humanitarian relief in Ukraine through the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
The broadcast concert raised over £13.4 million from viewer donations, ticket sales, commercial sponsors, and advertising. Following the event, total contributions to this humanitarian drive reached £260 million.
Message to Antytila
On March 22, 2022, the Ukrainian rock group Antytila, whose members served in the Territorial Defense Forces in the first weeks of the war, appealed to Ed Sheeran, offering to perform at Concert for Ukraine via a live link from Kyiv.
On March 25, Sheeran responded on Instagram Stories, thanking the musicians and addressing the Ukrainian people:
First of all, I just wanted to say to all Ukrainians: I love you, I stand with you, and I am very proud to be performing at this charity event next week.
Addressing Antytila directly, Sheeran also mentioned that he was eager to listen to their music and sent them warm support.
Nevertheless, Antytila did not appear in the concert broadcast, as event producers determined the show should concentrate purely on humanitarian support without involving uniformed military participants.
“2step” Music Video and Aid for Ukraine
In April 2022, Sheeran released the official music video for “2step”, which had been filmed in Kyiv shortly before the full-scale invasion.
In an introductory message before the video, Sheeran recalled his first trip to Ukraine and shared how quickly he had fallen in love with Kyiv and its citizens. He also announced that all YouTube streaming proceeds from the music video would be directed to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
I filmed the video for 2step in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine before the devastating acts of violence started to take place. It was my first time visiting the country and I felt so welcomed during my stay there... Ukraine is a proud and resilient country and I'm grateful to have had the chance to film my video there. I stand with Ukraine.
Collaborative Track with Antytila
In May 2022, Ed Sheeran released a joint version of “2step” featuring Ukrainian band Antytila. Bandleader Taras Topolia, who had been actively serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the first days of the invasion, performed a new Ukrainian verse recounting the reality of the war.
The music video portrays damaged Ukrainian cities alongside footage from front-line positions. All proceeds from monetization and royalties were donated to Music Saves UA — a humanitarian project providing emergency relief in Ukraine.
Consequently, following the start of the full-scale war, Sheeran went far beyond symbolic words. He took part in major benefit shows, donated music video royalties to Ukrainian relief efforts, and created an impactful musical partnership with Ukrainian artists serving their country.
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