Ed Sheeran sparked fresh buzz at his Philadelphia concert on Saturday night, Sept. 19, when he removed the B-stage from his usual setup, saying he was concerned about how the crowd might react amid the controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore’s removal from his tour.
The change came during Sheeran’s LOOP Tour stop at Lincoln Financial Field, where he performed without the smaller stage normally positioned in the middle of the audience. Sheeran explained that he was uncertain about the atmosphere at the show, and worried that something could be thrown at him if he moved into the crowd.
Pop star Ed Sheeran described the situation in Gaza as “unjustifiable”, speaking publicly about the conflict after facing criticism over the removal of his opening act following pro-Palestinian comments.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting, “Free, free Palestine.”
Sheeran had previously avoided taking political positions, but he addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his first concert since the controversy involving U.S. rapper Macklemore.
“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate,” Sheeran told the crowd in Philadelphia.
“Our hearts have been broken by the level of destruction and the loss of civilian and children’s lives. The ongoing systemic injustice in the West Bank also cannot be ignored,” he said.
Macklemore had shouted “Free Palestine” during a concert in New Jersey earlier this month. His comments led to criticism from owners of U.S. stadiums where Sheeran’s LOOP Tour was scheduled to perform.
Some fans entering the stadium said they had thought about skipping the concert because of the controversy but decided to attend anyway.
The stadium was nearly full despite more tickets being resold during the week and a significant drop in ticket prices.
On Saturday, a pro-Palestinian group also urged artists, fans and tour workers to boycott Sheeran’s concerts.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, known as PACBI, expanded its boycott call to Sheeran’s entire world tour, including his upcoming shows in Latin America and a European leg that has not yet been announced.
The unusual stage change followed a turbulent week for Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Macklemore was removed from the tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks. Macklemore later said several venues objected to his continued participation.
Sheeran later said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour promoter and venues, rather than by him personally. He said he had tried to help resolve the dispute but could not control the venues’ decisions.
The fallout did not stop with Macklemore. Other performers connected to the tour, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew from upcoming shows in solidarity with him. Their departures left Sheeran facing changes to his live production, including the loss of musicians who had been part of his performances.
With his backing musicians no longer available, Sheeran turned to longtime collaborator Alicia Enstrom, who helped assemble a replacement group. The new musicians had only about three days to prepare Sheeran’s songs before taking the stage in Philadelphia.
