Ed Sheeran gig a ‘triumph’ - but not to fans left out in cold

Ed Sheeran’s much hyped appearance in Whelan's saw crowds descend on Dublin’s Camden Street, causing traffic jams on Saturday night.

The singer -songwriter’s VH1 Storyteller’s gig was tipped to be one of the most anticipated musical events of the year, with Ed Sheeran’s down-to-earth appeal drawing a large crowd.

Some 400 people filled Whelan's for it, with Sheeran explaining he had chosen the venue after having seen Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice play a gig there that encouraged him in his pursuit of a musical career.

Fans were offered tickets for the gig as part of a lottery system run by TV event company Applause Store.

But a policy of oversubscribing winners in an effort to avoid no-shows resulted in many people being denied their golden wrist-bands and access to the gig. Fans took to social media outraged as around 100 people were turned away from the gig after being assured they’d ‘won’.

Whelan's posted on its Facebook page later on Saturday, explaining that responsibility for ticket distribution lay with Applause Store.

"We can understand peoples disappointment at receiving an eTicket for the Ed Sheeran show, then to find there were no spaces left. We want you to know that all the ticketing for this event is handled by ApplauseStore.com, specialists in television event ticketing, for such shows inc. the likes of the X Factor and Top Gear etc."

While many were disappointed, those who made it into Whelan’s had only rave reviews for the red-head’s hour and a half long performance.