Ed Sheeran returns to stage after Macklemore removed and other acts pull out over Palestinian row | Today’s news
Ed Sheeran is set to return to the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 19, for the first time since the controversy over Macklemore’s removal from his Loop tour led to the withdrawal of all his remaining supporting acts.
Ed Sheeran will return to tour without supporting acts
The singer is scheduled to perform at Lincoln Financial Field, with no replacement opening act announced. His return comes after a turbulent week in which his US tour was reshaped by the controversy involving Macklemore’s comments about the Israel-Gaza conflict and the decision to drop him from the remaining dates.
Read also | Finneas and Aaron Rowe quit Ed Sheeran’s tour after Macklemore’s removal
Why Macklemore was removed
Macklemore performed as an opening act for Sheeran’s American shows. During his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in early September, the rapper spoke about Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying “Free Palestine”. He also performed his protest song Hind’s Hall, which he released in 2024 in solidarity with the Palestinians.
A Palestinian artist paints a mural honoring US rapper Macklemore in a building damaged during the war in Gaza City, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer(REUTERS)
The comments were followed by calls for Macklemore to be removed from the tour. The Israel-American Council started a petition calling for its removal, with venue owners also objecting. Reuters reported that the tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, said the venue’s owners refused to hold a show with Macklemore on the bill.
Sheeran subsequently addressed the controversy, saying the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoter and venues rather than him.
A Palestinian man walks past a mural painted on the rubble of a destroyed building dedicated to American rapper, singer, dancer and DJ Benjamin Haggerty, known as Macklemore, in Gaza City on September 19, 2026. Macklemore was kicked out of Ed Sheeran’s US tour after causing outrage by saying “Free Palestine has stopped” at one of the September 14 stadium shows. headlines after he told the crowd at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium that he wanted the people of Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten. (Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)(AFP)
He said he has engaged in discussions with promoters and venues to try to find a solution, but that the decision is ultimately final. He also said that he had personal views on the conflict, but chose not to discuss them publicly.
Finneas and other acts withdraw
Finneas, who was due to support Sheeran on six South American dates in November, has announced he is pulling out of the tour. In a statement shared on social media, he said artists should not be silenced when they speak out about people they believe are oppressed, and said he stands with Palestine and its people.
Irish singer Aaron Rowe has also pulled out of the remaining North American dates. He said the decision was difficult because of his relationship with Sheeran, but that he couldn’t continue touring in the circumstances surrounding Macklemore’s removal.
Read also | Ed Sheeran-Macklemore Free Palestine Controversy: What Happened on the Loop Tour
Danish group Lukas Graham followed, while Beoga, the Irish band who performed alongside Sheeran during parts of his set, also pulled out.
This leaves Sheeran to face his performance in Philadelphia without the supporting acts that have been part of the recent US concerts. The singer already plays much of the Loop show alone, although Beoga joined him for a few songs. According to The Independent, his website did not list a replacement before Saturday’s concert.
The Philadelphia show is also expected to take place amid ongoing demonstrations linked to the controversy. Pro-Palestinian groups have announced plans to protest outside Lincoln Financial Field to keep the controversy over Macklemore’s removal in the public eye as Sheeran continues to tour.
Macklemore has since announced that he will donate $1 million of his tour earnings to Palestinian aid and has called on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match the donation.
Kraft and Sheeran have reportedly agreed to contribute $2 million together, although details of where the money will go have not been specified.
Sheeran’s Loop tour is set to continue after Philadelphia, with additional North and South American dates before a scheduled wrap in Mexico City in December.
