Ed Sheeran altered his Philadelphia Loop Tour show over safety concerns amid fallout from Macklemore’s removal from the tour. Ed Sheeran at Deadline Spotlight: Anatomy of a Song – “F1” held at The Motoring Club on January 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images)
Deadline via Getty Images
Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour became a chaotic live venture in only the past few days. The shows started off fine, but then Macklemore was removed from the remaining dates in the United States after using his opening set times to voice his support for the Palestinian people. After he was booted from the trek, the other supporting acts and the headliner’s own backing back also withdrew in solidarity. Sheeran insisted the decision to drop the rapper was not his, but as the main draw, he has faced much of the public backlash.
Sheeran returned to the stage Saturday night in Philadelphia for his first concert since the controversy exploded, and the show looked different from what fans had seen online. There were no opening acts, his musicians had been replaced at the last minute – and he thanked his new backing group from the mic – and, perhaps most strikingly, Sheeran shared with the crowd that he had actually altered the physical production because he was unsure how the audience might react to him.
Ed Sheeran Removed His Second Stage Over Safety Concerns
The Loop Tour normally features a second, smaller stage placed in the middle of the audience. That kind of B stage has become common on massive stadium tours, as it allows a superstar to perform surrounded by fans and brings another visual element to an already enormous production. In Philadelphia, it was not part of the show.
Sheeran explained that the decision was directly connected to the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal. “I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight. I didn’t know if I’d have things thrown at me,” he told the crowd. He also reportedly said he didn’t know whether “people would be angry at me.”
“So Philly, I apologize that today is not the usual Loop show,” Sheeran commented, acknowledging that fans were receiving a somewhat reduced version of the top-notch production.
The change pushes the controversy to a very different, very dark park. Sheeran wasn’t simply facing criticism online or answering difficult questions about one of his opening acts or his political views. The situation had grown to the point where he — or at least those responsible for his security — was concerned enough about his safety and what might happen if he stood in the middle of the audience to remove part of the concert entirely.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 23: Ed Sheeran attends the European Premiere of F1 ® The Movie at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Ed Sheeran Addresses Israel, Gaza And The Fallout
Sheeran opened the concert – he was without traditional musical openers, after all – with a lengthy statement about the controversy. He told the Philadelphia crowd, “I am making mistakes, and I’m so so sorry.” Throughout his time as a superstar, Sheeran has largely avoided presenting himself as an activist or political musician, though he has acknowledged that the past week forced him into a much larger debate about free expression and the Israel/Palestine struggle.
The singer said he was “deeply worried” about venues determining in advance what performers are permitted to say – something he stated shouldn’t happen in the free world – and he addressed the conflict directly. Sheeran called the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel at the Nova Music Festival “horrific,” while describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” and criticizing what he characterized as systemic injustice in the West Bank. He also said he was still listening and learning rather than presenting himself as an expert on the conflict.
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