Eurovision star Sam Ryder surprises Edinburgh locals with festive performance and chart hits outside The Dome

Eurovision star Sam Ryder put on a surprise performance outside The Dome in Edinburgh’s George Street earlier today – wowing locals with a 30-minute festive pop-up set.

The chart-topping singing sensation delighted passers-by with his acoustic performance that included popular Christmas songs, his latest single ’You’re Christmas to Me’ and his signature song - Space Man.

The special performance was hosted by Deliveroo, who organised the event as a gift to Edinburgh residents after revealing the capital is the most charitable city in the UK when it comes to using the in-app roundup function to donate to anti-poverty charity, the Trussell Trust.

Arriving shorty after 11.30am, Sam Ryder shocked and delighted locals in equal measure when he appeared on the front steps of The Dome where he kicked off his festive gig with a spritely performance of Jingle Bells that included all the distinctive falsetto notes and growling lows the popular singer is known for.

Addressing the crowd outside The Dome, Mr Ryder thanked the audience who had stopped to stand in the drizzling rain to watch his performance, and explained the reason for the one-off event in the city centre.

Sam Ryder said: “You guys donated the most in the Deliveroo app when you were rounding up your takeaway orders - all that money has gone to the Trussell Trust to help the food banks this year. The legends at Deliveroo asked if we would come and be a little surprise thank you.” The Essex singer added: “Hopefully you’re not gutted and you weren’t expecting something bigger and more.”

Singing with umbrella in hand and accompanied by his guitarist, Milky, the 34-year-old singer songwriter then performed his new Christmas single, by which point a large group of passers-by were now fixated on the star’s performance as he showcased his impressive vocal range and unique sound.

Ryder joked with the crowd when only one person in the group of onlookers said they knew about his latest single ’You’re Christmas to Me’. Ryder said: “They told me earlier that it’s number two in the charts - but I’m not sure I believe that seeing as only one person here has heard of it” before asking the resident, “are you lying by the way? Or were you thinking of a different song?”

The skies brightened towards the end of the set where the star singer continued to flaunt his controlled vibrato with his rendition on ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ before treating locals to his hit song that nearly saw him crowned a Eurovision winner - Space Man. Soaring through octaves, the crowd were wowed by his trademark falsetto, that saw Ryder reach critical acclaim and over 17 million social media followers following his meteoric rise in 2020.

Sam Ryder’s performance follows the launch of Deliveroo’s Not So Silent Night Choir last month, a group of off-key carollers led by Shaun Williamson and Honey G. The disastrous ensemble took to the streets of the UK to encourage people to donate to the Trussell Trust via the in-app roundup feature.

Ryder said: “Christmas is a season to be charitable and it’s great to see the nation supporting the Trussell Trust during what is set to be the most challenging winter yet for food banks across the UK. I was thrilled to be the ‘ryder’ in charge of delivering the legends of Edinburgh a little festive surprise! Merry Christmas!”

Eleanor Garnier, senior policy advisor at Deliveroo, said: “Christmas is a wonderful time of year for many, but it’s also a really tough time for others, with more and more people needing support from vital services such as the Trussell Trust to cover life’s essentials. So we’re delighted to be able to reward Edinburgh, as the UK’s most charitable city this Christmas, with a performance from such a renowned UK superstar.” Ms Garnier added: “The generous people of Edinburgh have raised enough money to provide over 43,000 meals to food banks in the Trussell Trust network this year.”

Emma Revie, ceo of the Trussell Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us through this campaign and as a proud Scot, I would like to extend a particular thank you to the people of Edinburgh who were extra generous when rounding up their Deliveroo orders. Our network is facing its most challenging winter yet - we’re expecting to provide an emergency food parcel every eight seconds over the coming months - so every donation truly does matter.”