Ed Sheeran's Jaw-Dropping Revelation: How He Persuaded Eminem to Share the Stage at Epic Detroit Concert

Eminem and Ed Sheeran perform on stage. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Ed Sheeran revealed in a recent interview with Nardwuar that Eminem, known for his honesty, fulfilled his promise to perform alongside him at Detroit's Ford Field in July. The 32-year-old artist recounted the efforts he made to persuade the 50-year-old rapper to join him on stage, delighting the local audience by delivering electrifying renditions of "Lose Yourself" and "Stan" alongside the renowned British superstar.

In order to convince the rap icon to join him, Sheeran had to accomplish a remarkable feat of travel while doing Eminem a favor. "It was quite challenging," Sheeran shared with Nardwuar, 55, chuckling. "I flew over to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with him [in 2022]... I actually flew out on a day off because I was shooting 14 music videos consecutively, and I only had one day off in between. That day off happened to be the same day as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So I hopped on a plane that night, performed, hopped on another plane that night, and flew back."

Sheeran took the stage with Eminem to perform "Stan" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022. Slim Shady clearly appreciated the extensive travel and physical exhaustion Sheeran endured for him.

“He was like, ‘Anything you ever need,’ and I just said, then and there, ‘I’m coming to Detroit,’ so [let’s do that],” Sheeran said.

Eminem and Ed Sheeran take the stage together for a performance. Sheeran reassures that he wasn't worried about being ignored by Eminem on the night of the show. He had spent a couple of days in Detroit and had the opportunity to use Eminem's studio for some recordings, so he had a feeling the collaboration would happen. Sheeran also mentioned that he always gives his performing partners the option to cancel last minute, eliminating any pressure.

Although the live surprise was a success, Sheeran was unsuccessful in convincing Eminem to join him on the rotating circular stage he used for his Mathematics stadium tour. Sheeran mentioned that he attempted to get Eminem on the revolve, but it seemed to be too overwhelming for him. Sheeran shared that he has been using the rotating stage for 100 shows and has become accustomed to it, but it is certainly a different experience for others.

To celebrate the release of his second album of 2023, Autumn Variations, Sheeran released a new single called "American Town" on Friday, September 29. To commemorate the record, he embarked on a pub crawl through New York City, which is known as one of the most American towns.

Sheeran previously released – (Subtraction) in May, which contains the singles “Eyes Closed,” “Boat” and “Life Goes On.”

In this article

Ed Sheeran

Eminem