When Ed Sheeran surprised emotional busker who was singing his song in a mall

21 July 2025, 17:15

In a heartwarming moment, a 13-year-old Canadian student got the duet of a lifetime when Ed Sheeran joined her impromptu performance of 'Thinking Out Loud.'

Ed Sheeran is widely regarded as one of music’s most grounded superstars — and with good reason.

While chart-topping albums and sold-out stadiums define his career today, back in 2015, Sheeran was still a fresh-faced pop star promoting his new album in Canada.

During a casual stroll through a mall, the star spotted a 13-year-old busker singing one of his songs — and made her day by quietly joining her on stage.

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What followed was a viral moment of pure connection, a shared moment between strangers and a throwback to Ed Sheeran's pre-fame busking roots.

In June 2015, 13-year-old Sydney Bourbeau was performing Ed Sheeran’s hit 'Thinking Out Loud' at West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada.

She was singing as part of her Resonate Music School fundraiser, benefiting the Edmonton Humane Society — a charity dedicated to the care, education, and rehoming of companion animals.

The song — released in 2014 on Sheeran’s second album x (Multiply) — was still dominating charts, and Sydney was singing it as part of a fundraiser for the local Humane Society.

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Unbeknownst to her, Ed Sheeran himself, fresh from a nearby HMV store, had heard her voice and started making his way towards the music.

In a video recorded by Ed's cousin Murray Cummings, the singer says to the camera: "I'm going to go and sing," before turning to his cousin: "Should I just roll up?"

"Roll up, roll up!" his cousin and entourage can be heard saying off camera, encouraging Ed to surprise her as a clearly excited Ed comntinues to make his way towards the singer.

Moments later, he quietly stepped onto the stage and, after introducing himself, began harmonising with the stunned teenager — turning an ordinary busking set into a moment she’d never forget.

The footage swiftly went viral, racking millions of views on YouTube and across social media.

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CBS News praised the "surprise duet" as an "instantly heartwarming" moment, while Time and Entertainment Weekly noted Sydney’s wide-eyed delight.

"I didn’t want to stop..." she told news outlets. "This is like the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

Following the performance, Sheeran’s manager gifted music school student Sydney and her mother, two front-row tickets to his Rexall Place concert.

Michael Cathrea, president of the Resonate Music School where Sydney was a student, later told the Edmonton Journal: "That's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"[Ed Sheeran] happened to be there, she's singing his song...it was amazing that she was actually able to keep it together and finish," he said, adding: "It was shock, as if she had seen a ghost."

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It was the first known recorded instance of Ed Sheeran’s surprise fans with impromptu performances, something he has since become well-known for.

In 2019, he began hosting secret "living room" performances across fan homes—recorded live for his Autumn Variations project.

Ed surprises fan singing his song at the Mall

2023 saw him surprise high school students in Tampa, Florida, playing an intimate concert for a delighted school band, before handiung out free guitars and tiockets to his shows.

In April 2025, Ed Sheeran made headlines when he surprised commuters with an impromptu 30-minute performance outside London’s King’s Cross station, playing six songs, including 'Shivers', to delighted passers‑by.

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Later that month, he and Jimmy Fallon dressed in disguise to sing Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' on a New York subway platform.

Sheeran’s generosity and surprise performances are rooted in his early days busking in Cambridge and London subway stations.

His openness about songwriting and struggle has included candid reflections—he’s spoken about being "grounded" by fans and how those moments connect back to his modest beginnings.

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Back then, he wasn’t hitting arenas with a loop pedal—he was alone with a guitar, striving to resonate.

Today, despite selling over 200 million records and topping charts worldwide, Sheeran emphasises his need to stay connected, saying it shows gratitude to fans who came from near and far, "taking time out of their daily schedule" to attend shows.

On an appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2021, Ed reflected on this kind of fan experience.

"It keeps things real," he explained, adding it reminds him "why I started in the first place."