Ed Sheeran opened his Philadelphia concert alone, offering a teary apology to fans and acknowledging "making mistakes" in the fallout from controversy surrounding his tour. The controversy began after rapper Macklemore was dropped from the tour due to pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage at an earlier show in New Jersey. Sheeran clarified that the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoters, not by him, and was influenced by venues threatening to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup. This led to all other scheduled opening acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga, also withdrawing from the tour.
Sheeran addressed the audience, stating he did not want to disappoint fans and that he wanted his concerts to be about unity and humanity, not division or politics. He acknowledged the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable" and also referenced the events of October 7th in Israel as horrific. He emphasized his commitment to his fans as the reason he continued the tour despite the difficulties.
The controversy significantly impacted the tour, with ticket prices for remaining U.S. dates dropping, some as low as $32. Fans also reported receiving refunds for tickets, though Ticketmaster and Messina Touring Group did not confirm this. The concert, originally set for 5:30 p.m. ET, was pushed to 8 p.m. due to the disruptions. Pro-Palestinian activists also protested outside the venue in Philadelphia.
Sheeran expressed being "deeply worried" by venues influencing performances and highlighted that the situation put him in the middle of a debate about freedom of speech and a complex political issue. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, was specifically mentioned as having pressured for Macklemore's removal. Following his removal, Macklemore pledged to donate $1 million to Palestinian support groups, challenging Kraft to match him; Kraft later announced a $2 million commitment to aid in the region.
Messina Touring Group, the tour's U.S. promoter, confirmed that venues had notified them they would not allow concerts with Macklemore on the lineup, which would have resulted in the cancellation of the entire tour and impacted hundreds of thousands of fans.
