Ed Sheeran addressed the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour during his first concert since Macklemore was removed as an opening act and the rest of his scheduled support acts and backing band departed the tour. Sheeran spoke to the crowd at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, Sept. 19, before beginning his set.
Sheeran told the audience that the criticism he faced during the previous week was about an issue more significant than his music and acknowledged that he had been forced to make difficult decisions. He apologized to fans and said he was still making mistakes while navigating the situation.
The controversy began after Macklemore made pro-Palestinian remarks during his performance at Gillette Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 5. Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining dates of Sheeran’s tour. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft later said he found Macklemore’s comments offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, while Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour promoter.
Following Macklemore’s departure, Sheeran’s other support acts, including FINNEAS, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, also left the tour. Irish band Beoga, which had served as Sheeran’s backing band, also withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore.
At the Philadelphia concert, Sheeran addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict directly. He condemned the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel and described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic and unjustifiable, while saying he was speaking with people across different perspectives and listening and learning. He also said he wanted his concerts to remain spaces where people with differing views could attend together.
With Beoga no longer on the tour, Sheeran introduced a newly assembled group of musicians led by violinist Alicia Enstrom. He explained that the musicians had only three days to learn the songs and had agreed to perform despite the public controversy surrounding the tour.
The show also featured changes to the staging. Sheeran said the portion of the concert that normally takes place on a separate B-stage had been removed because of concerns about what could happen if he moved into the middle of the crowd. He subsequently continued the performance with the newly assembled musicians.
Before the finale, Sheeran returned to the subject of the previous week and described it as one of the worst and strangest periods of his life. He then told the Philadelphia audience that the concert had been “the best show of my life” and said he had not known whether the tour would continue or whether he would perform again.
Sheeran also said that seeing 50,000 people attend the Philadelphia show affected his decision to continue the tour. He described the concert as a place where people from different backgrounds and with different political views could come together around music.
The Loop Tour continues following the Philadelphia performance, with Sheeran now performing without the original support lineup and Beoga. The future involvement of the replacement musicians has not been fully detailed.
