Ed Sheeran 'humbled' by massive ticket demand

He recently declared his love for New Zealand. New Zealand, it seems, feels exactly the same way about him.

Ed Sheeran says he's "overwhelmed" and "humbled" by demand for his New Zealand tour, which has ballooned from two stadium shows to five.

The 26-year-old will perform three dates at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, and two at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, in March next year.

Sheeran announced just the two shows to start with - one in each city - but pre-sale demand on Tuesday saw him add three more shows.

Sheeran has also added new dates in Australia which will see him equal the record for the most stadium shows performed during an Australasian tour. AC/DC performed the same number of shows in 2010.

In a statement, Sheeran said he couldn't believe how in demand tickets to his shows were.

"I'm overwhelmed with the response, to match that record is very humbling. I really can't wait to get down there."

If Sheeran's New Zealand shows sell out, he'll likely top Adele's recent record-breaking antics in March, with her three Mt Smart Stadium shows considered the biggest tour here of all time.

Frontier Touring promoter Michael Gudinski said he was blown away by the interest too.

"He just continues to amaze me as a singer, as a songwriter, as a performer and as a good mate," he said.

It's not all good news for fans: some struggled to get tickets during this week's pre-sale, and one fan lost $950 accidentally buying tickets through Viagogo.

Tickets to all shows go on general release on Tuesday.

Ed Sheeran
March 24, 25 & 26: Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
March 29 & 31: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Tickets: On sale Tuesday, May 23 at 1pm (Auckland) and 2pm (Dunedin)