Ed Sheeran Set to Play Philadelphia Show After Opening Acts Withdraw

Ed Sheeran is scheduled to perform at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, his first concert since a wave of supporting acts withdrew from his Loop Tour in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian remarks onstage.

It is unclear how Sheeran will structure the show given the departures of his opening acts and supporting band. He has performed much of the Loop Tour solo, though the Irish folk band Beoga had joined him for several songs at each stop. Macklemore, the tour's original U.S. opener, was replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe before both backed out. Finneas, Billie Eilish's brother and musical collaborator, had been set to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year before he too withdrew earlier in the week.

Sheeran has not commented publicly since losing the artists' support. As of Friday, tickets for Saturday's show remained available, and his website listed no replacement acts. A coalition of pro-Palestinian organizations plans to protest outside the venue on Saturday afternoon.

The week began with Macklemore's removal after he exclaimed "Free Palestine" during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Sheeran said he was not responsible for the decision, which came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns a stadium where the tour was scheduled to play on Friday. Within hours of Sheeran's statement on Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew.

Macklemore said Wednesday he is donating $1 million to Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift. A spokesperson for Kraft said the billionaire and Sheeran have each agreed to donate $2 million, without specifying where the money will be directed. Sheeran's representatives have not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Sheeran has said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for the decision to drop Macklemore. In his Tuesday statement, the Grammy winner said he would not be drawn into discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans do not attend his shows to hear about such issues. He also said he "spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge" before Macklemore was dropped, and insisted he would never willingly let down his fans or abandon the touring crew and others who rely on him for a living.

While promoters and venues hold significant power over concert tours, experts say an artist of Sheeran's stature generally has the final say over matters concerning the shows. The Loop Tour was the highest-grossing in the world, with an average box office gross of over $7 million per city, according to Pollstar in May. Through the end of 2025, Sheeran was the No. 3 top-earning concert act since 2021.