Ed Sheeran broke down on stage in Philadelphia as he addressed the controversy that cost him his entire supporting lineup.
The 34-year-old singer opened his first Loop Tour show since Macklemore’s removal on Saturday night with a raw apology to fans at Lincoln Financial Field. Sheeran, who had stayed silent since promoter Messina Touring Group pulled the rapper last week, appeared visibly shaken as he confronted the fallout directly.
“I’m used to my music being criticized, and I’m always happy to take that because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff,” he told the crowd. “But this week, the criticism was about something much more important, and I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so so sorry.”
Sheeran made clear the decision to remove Macklemore was not his own. He claimed pressure from venues drove the move, and that a conversation with Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft ultimately sealed it.
“I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performers,” he said. “This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”
The rapper’s ouster triggered a cascade of departures. Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe all quit the tour in protest, leaving Sheeran without any supporting acts just days before his Philadelphia return. Lukas Graham explained his exit in a pointed statement: “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge. This is a difficult decision, but it’s one I need to stand by.”
Sheeran revealed he scrambled to rebuild his stage presence, recruiting collaborator Alicia Enstrom and other musicians willing to risk backlash. “How am I going to get musicians to stand onstage with me in a week where no one wants to stand on stage with me?” he asked fans. He noted those who agreed did so knowing they might face hatred themselves: “They said yes with the knowledge that the world may hate them too for standing onstage with me.”
Security concerns forced changes to the production. Sheeran told the audience he had torn out his usual B stage, the circular platform that typically carries him into the crowd during his loop-themed shows.
“I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight,” he shared. “I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry at me. So Philly, I apologize that today is not the usual loop show. I took the B stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle.”
The controversy began when Macklemore used an onstage speech at MetLife Stadium to voice support for Palestinians, prompting his removal from the Loop Tour. The moment cost Sheeran his full roster of openers and drew intense scrutiny to the singer’s own political stance.
Having spent his career largely avoiding political commentary, Sheeran said he could no longer remain silent amid assumptions about his position. He called the October 7 attack at the Nova Music Festival “horrific,” while describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate.” He also said the “systemic injustice” unfolding in the West Bank “cannot be overlooked,” and confirmed he’s now speaking to people “across the spectrum” about how he can help.
The financial repercussions have extended beyond the tour. Macklemore pledged $1 million to Palestinian support groups after his departure and challenged Kraft to match it. Sheeran noted that Kraft has since agreed to commit $2 million toward the same cause at his request.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour continues with upcoming dates across North America.