Ed Sheeran Tears Up in Philadelphia, Says He Felt Abandoned Amid Tour Turmoil

Ed Sheeran was visibly emotional during his concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, telling the crowd he felt abandoned by friends, family and long-time acquaintances during what he called a strange and difficult week.

The turmoil follows the removal of rapper Macklemore from Sheeran's Loop Tour, a decision that prompted all of the tour's opening acts, including Sheeran's backing band, to quit in solidarity. Macklemore had earlier said Sheeran was pressured by stadium owners to drop him after the rapper delivered a "Free Palestine" speech.

Addressing the audience, Sheeran said the past days had revealed who his true friends were. He recounted being urged by many people to cancel the tour and described how individuals he had known for years appeared to be pulling away. He said he had noticed ticket sales for the Philadelphia show continuing rather than being cancelled, which gave him a different perspective.

"I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me," he told the crowd, adding that he was performing for them and loved the experience. He described the concert as the best show of his life, even as he called the preceding week one of the worst he had endured.

Sheeran also said he had initially worried about his safety and whether he would be booed, remarking that the world and America felt like scary places at the moment, before pointing to the audience and saying the reception gave him hope.

He revealed that he had altered the concert setup because of safety concerns, removing the B stage where he would normally perform in the middle of the audience area. He apologised to fans that the show was not the usual Loop production and admitted he had been afraid of what might happen if he stood in the middle of the crowd.

While Sheeran did not name the family members he was referring to, his cousin Jethro Sheeran publicly criticised him on Instagram on Thursday, saying he was ashamed of his cousin and describing him as selfish and a coward. Jethro also said he believed Sheeran had made the decision to drop Macklemore himself, rather than being forced into it.

Meanwhile, Macklemore has donated the USD 1 million he said he earned from the Loop Tour before being dropped to Palestinian relief efforts, and called on Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and the Kraft Group, to match the donation. Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and was among the stadium owners who refused to let Macklemore perform following his speech, subsequently donated USD 2 million after Sheeran asked him to. In a statement, Kraft said he had dedicated his life to bringing people together and believed that all lives are worth protecting.

Sheeran is scheduled to perform next at Gillette Stadium on September 25 and September 26.