Ed Sheeran took the stage alone at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2026, marking his first public appearance since the “Loop” tour was upended by the removal of opening act Macklemore. During the performance, Sheeran admitted to making “mistakes” in his handling of the situation, which has seen his entire support lineup and backing band resign in protest.
The solo performance was a stark departure from the tour’s original production. Sheeran’s long-time backing band, Beoga, along with scheduled support acts Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. The American rapper was removed from the tour around September 14 following pro-Palestinian remarks and a performance of his song “Hind’s Hall” at MetLife Stadium.
Addressing the crowd in Philadelphia, Sheeran described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable,” while also characterizing the October 7 attacks as “horrific.” This shift in rhetoric follows years of the singer maintaining a largely apolitical public profile.
The fragmentation of the tour’s infrastructure reportedly stemmed from high-level industry pressure. Stadium owners, including Robert Kraft of Gillette Stadium and Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles, reportedly pressured tour promoters to remove Macklemore by threatening to cancel upcoming dates at their respective venues. Sheeran had previously attributed the rapper’s departure solely to decisions made by promoters and venue owners, but his comments on Thursday suggested a personal acknowledgement of the resulting fallout.
The controversy has had a visible impact on the tour’s commercial standing. While original tickets were priced as high as $450, secondary market prices for the Philadelphia show reportedly plummeted to as low as $32 on the day of the event.
Outside the venue, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered to decry what they termed “censorship” regarding Macklemore’s removal. The atmosphere inside remained focused on Sheeran’s stripped-back set, though the absence of his band forced a reliance on his signature loop-pedal setup, effectively returning the stadium-filler to the busking-style performance of his early career.
It remains unclear who will replace the departed support acts for the remainder of the “Loop” tour. Sheeran has not yet confirmed if he will continue the upcoming dates as a solo performer or if he intends to recruit new musicians to replace Beoga and the previous openers.
