Ed Sheeran cancels Asia tour dates after cycling accident

Chart-topping British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on Wednesday announced the cancellation of upcoming concerts in Asia after breaking his arm in a cycling accident.

The 26-year-old has pulled out of shows in Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong, according to a post to his 17.5 million followers on Instagram, alongside a picture of his arm in a cast.

"A visit to my doctors confirmed fractures in my right wrist and left elbow that will leave me unable to perform live concerts for the immediate future," he wrote.

"I'm waiting to see how the healing progresses before we have to decide on shows beyond that. Please stay tuned for more details."

An earlier post said that he suffered "a bit of a bicycle accident," which the Daily Mail reported happened in London on Sunday.

The dates were the first leg of a massive Asia tour taking in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India. He is also scheduled to play in the United Arab Emirates.

The two-time Grammy winner's latest album "Divide" smashed Spotify records, notching up 57 million listens on the first day of its release in March -- nearly twice the previous highest.

Sheeran cut his musical teeth from the age of four at a local church choir, and learned to play the guitar and write songs at a young age.

He honed his talent by busking and playing in bars, and won breakthrough international success with his 2014 love ballad "Thinking Out Loud", which became the first song on Spotify to be streamed half a billion times.

Source: AFP