Ed Sheeran announces NZ arena tour

Ed Sheeran plays the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrew Swartz

British chart topper Ed Sheeran plans to combine work and pleasure next year, when he returns to New Zealand for a nationwide tour and holiday.

The 23-year-old singer will perform an all-ages arena tour of New Zealand, stopping in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland next April.

"I'm coming for more dates that I ever have in New Zealand, it's going to be a legit tour," the singer told ZM.

But despite playing some of the country's biggest venues, the singer will still take to the stage alone, forgoing a band in favour of his signature acoustic guitar and loop pedal.

The singer will arrive in the country off the back of five Australian shows and is planning to take some down time while here.

"I'm going to stay in New Zealand afterwards as well, we're going to spend a total of about two weeks there. It's going to be good."

Sheeran last visited New Zealand in May on a promotional tour that saw him make a guest appearance on Shortland Street. But this time, he hopes to catch up with Hobbit filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson, who he penned the song I See Fire for.

The chart topper spent the past weekend shooting his new music video Thinking Out Loud in Las Vegas, which he says is the best video he's ever made.

But the singer's less enamoured with the City of Sin, where he performed at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on Saturday night.

Watch Ed Sheeran perform alongside Taylor Swift, Lorde, Coldplay, One Direction and more at the iHeartRadio Music Festival.

"It's a terrible, terrible place. It's nice for a night. You can have a bunch of fun here but you walk through and there's loads of old people spending their pensions and dying here. It's a very depressing place. "

The singer says he's looking forward to a less depressing visit when he arrives in New Zealand.

Tickets to all three shows go on sale October 2.

Wed April 8: Horncastle Arena, Christchurch
Fri April 10: TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
Sat April 11: Vector Arena, Auckland.