Ed Sheeran removed part of his Loop Tour staging for his September 19 concert in Philadelphia because he was unsure how the crowd would react after a turbulent week surrounding the tour.
The singer told fans at Lincoln Financial Field that he had scrapped the secondary stage normally positioned deeper inside the audience. “I didn’t know if I’d have things thrown at me,” Sheeran said, according to TMZ.
The change followed Macklemore’s removal from the remaining U.S. dates of the tour, the subsequent departure of Sheeran’s other announced support acts and the exit of Irish group Beoga from his backing band. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered outside the stadium before the concert.
Sheeran continued with the show using musicians assembled only days earlier and performed a 29-song set, but the portion that normally places him directly among fans was left out.
Sheeran Said He Was ‘Afraid’ to Use the B-Stage
🎥| Ed introducing his new band tonight to the crowd in Philadelphia and telling them how they only had 3 days to rehearse pic.twitter.com/G12uSCE6Bv
— Ed Sheeran Access (@AccessEdSheeran) September 20, 2026
The Loop Tour normally includes a secondary performance area where Sheeran leaves the main stage and performs closer to the audience. Us Weekly reported that the B-stage has also been used for fan-request portions of previous concerts.
“At this point in the show, to be honest, I usually go out to a B stage,” Sheeran told the Philadelphia crowd. He said he had not known what the audience would be like and acknowledged that fear had influenced the production change.
Philadelphia also did not receive the usual request segment. Sheeran apologized for presenting a different version of the show and told fans he had decided against placing himself in the middle of the stadium.
No specific threat against Sheeran had been publicly confirmed before the concert. Philadelphia police prepared an increased presence around Lincoln Financial Field as demonstrators gathered nearby, while video published by TMZ showed protesters chanting outside the stadium and near the subway station.
Sheeran Opened the Concert With an Apology
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Before beginning the regular set, Sheeran addressed the previous week and apologized for mistakes in how the controversy had unfolded.
He said he had generally avoided becoming a political commentator because he wanted his concerts to remain spaces where people with different views could attend together. The dispute over Macklemore’s removal, however, had placed him in a public argument over political expression and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
According to Reuters, Sheeran called the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack in Israel “horrific” and described the suffering in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” He also spoke about Palestinian civilian deaths and conditions in the West Bank.
Sheeran criticized venues requiring advance approval of performers’ material and said he was concerned about the implications for artistic expression. His comments went further than his September 15 written statement, in which he had said he generally did not want his concerts to become political forums while expressing distress over suffering in the region.
Macklemore’s Removal Led Other Acts to Leave the Tour
Macklemore had been scheduled to support Sheeran at eight additional U.S. concerts after appearing at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he spoke in support of Palestinians and said “Free Palestine.”
The rapper later said pressure from stadium owners led to his removal. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft confirmed that Gillette Stadium would not host Macklemore and cited material from the MetLife performances along with what Kraft described as a broader history of offensive rhetoric and imagery. Macklemore has rejected accusations that his advocacy for Palestinians is antisemitic.
Sheeran said in his September 15 statement that removing Macklemore was ultimately a decision by tour promoter Messina Touring Group after venues indicated they would not allow concerts to proceed with him on the lineup. The promoter separately said venue restrictions had forced the change.
Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe subsequently withdrew from their remaining appearances. Beoga, which had been joining Sheeran during portions of his own set, also left the tour.
Rowe later defended Sheeran personally while maintaining that Macklemore should not have been removed, saying he believed the decision had been made under pressure rather than reflecting Sheeran’s own views.
A New Band Had Three Days to Prepare for Philadelphia
Beoga’s departure left Sheeran needing additional musicians for songs that he said could not be reproduced the same way with his loop pedal alone.
Sheeran contacted violinist Alicia Enstrom, who had previously toured with him, and asked whether she would return. Enstrom agreed and helped bring together additional musicians for the Philadelphia concert.
According to Just Jared, the group had three days to learn the required material. Sheeran introduced Mike on drums, CJ on keys, Eric on bass, Clay on guitar and Enstrom on violin during the show.
He told the audience that he was grateful they had agreed to join him despite knowing the controversy surrounding the tour.
The concert itself still ran for 29 songs, according to published setlist records, beginning with “Castle on the Hill” and ending with “Bad Habits.” The performance included “Shivers,” “The A Team,” “Photograph,” “Thinking Out Loud,” “Perfect,” “Shape of You” and six songs performed with the replacement band.
Sheeran also told the crowd that the previous week had made him question whether the tour would continue and whether he wanted to keep performing. The Irish Examiner reported that he ultimately decided to continue because fulfilling his commitment to ticket holders remained important to him.
His next scheduled concerts are September 25 and 26 at Gillette Stadium. Sheeran had not announced whether the B-stage would return for those performances.