4 minute readrundown
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran have been friends and collaborators for over 10 years. Sheeran has appeared on Swift’s albums Red, Reputation and Red (Taylor’s Version), and they frequently share the stage together, last performing on Swift’s Ellas tour in 2024.
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran are longtime friends and collaborators. Since meeting in 2012, the two have continued to write songs and perform on stage together. They also value respecting each other in public. Their bond remains strong even today. Now let’s take an inside look at the timeline of their friendship.
2012
Swift and Sheeran’s friendship reportedly began in 2012 when she was spotted with the lyrics to “Lego House” written on her arm during a performance in Australia. “I heard his song ‘Lego House’ in Australia when I was on the Speak Now tour,” Swift told Rolling Stone in 2017. “It beat out everything else,” the paper said, referring them to their manager.
That same year, the two collaborated on “Everything Has Changed,” written using Swift’s trampoline. This song is included on Swift’s album Red. She co-wrote the song with Sheeran, who also features on it.
In December, they performed together for the first time at Z100’s Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden.
2013
March 2013
Sheeran was an opening act on Swift’s Red Tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Sheeran called the experience “the greatest tour in the world.”
June 2013
They released the official music video for “Everything Has Changed” featuring younger versions of themselves.
2015
February 2015
When Swift first won the British Award for Best International Female Artist, she thanked Sheeran in her speech.
“To be honest, I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for one of my best friends. He took me to the pub, taught me how to make good tea and taught me everything he knows about England,” she said. “I just want to say I love you, Ed Sheeran.”
2016
February 2016
Both attended the Grammy Awards that year, with Sheeran winning song of the year for “Thinking Out Loud” and Swift winning 1989 album of the year.
2017
March 2017
Of her friendship with Sheeran, Swift told Rolling Stone, “We had matching Scottish Folds, made each other arts and crafts Christmas presents, vacationed with our families, and supported each other.”
She continued, “He is to me the James Taylor to Carole King. I can’t imagine a time when he wasn’t.”
Sheeran added, “If it was all over for me, she would be there. Taylor is kind of an anomaly in that way.” He also protected her from those who hated her. “She’s everywhere because she’s the most famous woman in the world, so I can’t decide not to be in the press. I’ll always support Taylor.”
November 2017
On November 10, Swift released her album Reputation, which featured another collaboration with Sheeran, “Endgame.” Future also appeared on the track.
2021
November 2021
Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of Red, on November 12th. Sheeran re-recorded the vocals for his 2012 song “Everything Has Changed.”
2023
May 2023
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Sheeran spoke about his friendship with Swift. “I have long, long, long conversations with Taylor about a lot of different things,” he said. “I feel like she’s one of the few people who really understands my position. She’s a solo artist and she’s (performing) in stadiums.”
He also revealed that they spoke just before sitting down for the interview. “We talked about everything we were thinking about,” he said. “So it’s a form of therapy in itself, too, because you’re actually talking to someone who really understands it. It includes everything that you’re feeling and what your insecurities are and how other people treat you, how your family treats you, how your friends treat you. She’s basically in the same realm.”
2024
February 2024
They were photographed together at the Grammy Awards. That night, Swift won two awards: Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnight. Sheeran was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album for “- (Subtract).”
August 2024
On August 15th and 16th, Sheeran joined Swift on the Elas tour at London’s Wembley Stadium.
2025
October 2025
On October 6, Swift appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and explained why she found out about Sheeran’s engagement to Travis Kelsey on Instagram.
“He doesn’t have a phone,” she said. “That’s one of the things I like about him. He’s very eccentric. I love him. But when you’re going, ‘Hey, who am I going to call? Who am I going to FaceTime?'” I’m reading back through my text messages and I’m like, ‘Who has he texted in the last few months of his life?’ ‘ It’s like that. ”
She added, “I have to text him, I have to FaceTime him, I have to find his iPad, I have to give it to him like a child. This person is one of my absolute favorite people on the planet. When this news came out, I was like, ‘I forgot to call Ed!'”
Sheeran confirmed this on Fallon’s TikTok, writing, “Hello from my iPad allotment time. This is a fact.”
Ed Sheeran’s comments confirm Taylor Swift’s story.
Learn more about Taylor and Ed
