Ed Sheeran headlined the 2026 Pokémon World Championships with a performance that mixed his broader catalog alongside franchise-specific material. The artist delivered renditions of the classic Pokémon theme alongside Celestial, a track he created for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The performance underscores the series' continued investment in musical star power at its flagship competitive event.
- Sheeran performed both the original Pokémon theme and his game-specific Scarlet and Violet track, bridging nostalgia and current-era franchise content.
- The appearance signals Pokémon's strategy of leveraging mainstream musicians to elevate the prestige of its world championship broadcast.
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Eurogamer
· Aug 31, 10:41 UTC
Ed Sheeran gives surprise performance of Pokémon anime theme and Celestial at World Championships
Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the Pokémon World Championships this weekend, opening the closing ceremony with Celestial and an acoustic rendition of the original Pokémon anime's theme tune.
Video Games Chronicle
· Aug 31, 09:18 UTC
Ed Sheeran gave a surprise performance of the Pokémon anime theme at the Pokémon World Championships
Sheeran also performed his Pokémon Scarlet and Violet song Celestial
GoNintendo
· Aug 31, 04:45 UTC
Ed Sheeran performs the Pokémon theme song at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships
Sheeran's the real champ