{"id":2120430,"date":"2026-08-31T10:41:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T07:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2120430"},"modified":"2026-08-31T10:41:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T07:41:24","slug":"ed-sheeran-gives-surprise-performance-of-pokemon-anime-theme-and-celestial-at-world-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2120430","title":{"rendered":"Ed Sheeran gives surprise performance of Pok\u00e9mon anime theme and Celestial at World Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Ed Sheeran gives surprise performance of Pok\u00e9mon anime theme and Celestial at World Championships<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Gotta sing &#8217;em all.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Screenshot-2026-08-31-at-11.32.55.png?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A group of cartoon Pokemon, including a bear-like creature, a duck-like creature, a figure resembling Pikachu, and a cartoon Ed Sheeran in a black jacket, are gathered around a table laden with food, with a painting of fruit in the background.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Screenshot-2026-08-31-at-11.32.55.png\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"299\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\n<p>Published on   <time datetime=\"2026-08-31T10:41:24+00:00\" data-auto-time-zone=\"true\" data-year=\"numeric\" data-month=\"short\" data-day=\"numeric\" data-hour=\"numeric\" data-minute=\"numeric\">Aug. 31, 2026, 10:41 a.m.<\/time>\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/ed-sheeran-surprise-performance-pokemon-anime-theme-worlds?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          4 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships this weekend, opening the closing ceremony with Celestial and an acoustic rendition of the original Pok\u00e9mon anime&#8217;s theme tune.<\/p>\n<p>The musician turned up during Championship Sunday, the finals day of the 2026 World Championships, held at the Chase Center in San Francisco.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v78nlNQDZtU?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/v78nlNQDZtU\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v78nlNQDZtU\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sheeran opened with his 2022 single Celestial, which featured on the end credits of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pokemon-scarlet-violet-walkthrough-tips-9015\">Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet<\/a>. He then moved into an acoustic version of the Pok\u00e9mon anime&#8217;s theme tune.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not the first time Sheeran has worked with The Pok\u00e9mon Company, of course; as well as Celestial&#8217;s use in Scarlet and Violet, <a href=\"https:\/\/press.pokemon.com\/en\/ED-SHEERAN-TEAMS-UP-WITH-POKEMON-FOR-NEW-SONG-AND-VIDEO\">the song&#8217;s original announcement<\/a> in 2022 came alongside a music video showing Sheeran interacting with Pok\u00e9mon, including Pikachu.<\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pokemon-tales-sirfetchd-pichu-trailer-disney-plus\">The Pok\u00e9mon Company International and Aardman released the first teaser trailer for Pok\u00e9mon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch&#8217;d &amp; Pichu<\/a>, a new stop-motion series coming to Disney+ next year.<\/p>\n<p>The video description teases: &#8220;Join our unlikely heroes, Sirfetch&#8217;d and Pichu, in their gallant quest to protect Pok\u00e9mon across Galar! While their missions might rarely go as planned, their noble deeds forge their friendship as they step bravely into the unknown. Peril, alliances, rivalries, extraordinary Pok\u00e9mon, and endless laughs await them&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships this weekend, opening the closing ceremony with Celestial and an acoustic rendition of the original Pok\u00e9mon anime&#8217;s theme tune.<\/p>\n<p>The musician turned up during Championship Sunday, the finals day of the 2026 World Championships, held at the Chase Center in San Francisco.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v78nlNQDZtU?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/v78nlNQDZtU\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Ed Sheeran as the Guest performer in the closing Ceremony for Pokemon World Championship 2026!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v78nlNQDZtU\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sheeran opened with his 2022 single Celestial, which featured on the end credits of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pokemon-scarlet-violet-walkthrough-tips-9015\">Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet and Violet<\/a>. He then moved into an acoustic version of the Pok\u00e9mon anime&#8217;s theme tune.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not the first time Sheeran has worked with The Pok\u00e9mon Company, of course; as well as Celestial&#8217;s use in Scarlet and Violet, <a href=\"https:\/\/press.pokemon.com\/en\/ED-SHEERAN-TEAMS-UP-WITH-POKEMON-FOR-NEW-SONG-AND-VIDEO\">the song&#8217;s original announcement<\/a> in 2022 came alongside a music video showing Sheeran interacting with Pok\u00e9mon, including Pikachu.<\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pokemon-tales-sirfetchd-pichu-trailer-disney-plus\">The Pok\u00e9mon Company International and Aardman released the first teaser trailer for Pok\u00e9mon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch&#8217;d &amp; Pichu<\/a>, a new stop-motion series coming to Disney+ next year.<\/p>\n<p>The video description teases: &#8220;Join our unlikely heroes, Sirfetch&#8217;d and Pichu, in their gallant quest to protect Pok\u00e9mon across Galar! While their missions might rarely go as planned, their noble deeds forge their friendship as they step bravely into the unknown. Peril, alliances, rivalries, extraordinary Pok\u00e9mon, and endless laughs await them&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Ed Sheeran gives surprise performance of Pok\u00e9mon anime theme and Celestial at World Championships Gotta sing &#8217;em all. Image credit: The Pok\u00e9mon Company News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Aug. 31, 2026, 10:41 a.m. 4 comments Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships this weekend, opening the closing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2120430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2120430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120430\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2120430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2120430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2120430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}