Chris Hemsworth Plays Drums at Ed Sheeran Concert

Chris Hemsworth's trading in Thor's hammer for a pair of drumsticks ... wielding the wood as he learns to play drums -- and testing his skills out behind Ed Sheeran.

The actor joined Ed during his show in Romania Saturday night ... and, Ed shared a vid to his IG detailing how their collab came to be -- explaining the actor reached out to him back in December.

ES says Chris has really been diving into cognitive health on his docuseries 'Limitless' ... and, he started learning an instrument because of the benefits that come along with it.

Welp, Sheeran wanted to put Chris' skills to the test ... so, he brought the star out in front of 70,000 screaming fans.

Check out the clip ... Hemsworth plays pretty well -- and, Ed even presents him with "The Participation Award for Drumming Excellence" after the gig. Not exactly a Grammy, but it's a start!

Hemsworth's "Limitless with Chris Hemsworth" follows the actor as he travels the globe looking for different ways to keep himself healthy. In the first season he worked to slow down his aging ... unclear what the theme of this upcoming season will be.

The episode's expected to come out some time next year ... so, fans will get to hear all about Chris' musical journey very soon.