Ed Sheeran to Perform Solo in Philadelphia After Opening Acts Quit Over Macklemore Removal
Ed Sheeran's Philadelphia concert will proceed without opening acts or his backing band after they withdrew in protest of Macklemore's removal from the tour over his pro-Palestinian remarks.
Ed Sheeran is set to headline Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the first Loop Tour show since Macklemore was dropped from the bill. All scheduled opening performers — Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Danish group Lukas Graham, songwriter Finneas and the Irish band Beoga — announced they were withdrawing in solidarity with the rapper, leaving Sheeran to perform alone, according to Ticketmaster.
Finneas posted on Instagram that he was withdrawing because he "stands with Palestine and its people." Rowe wrote that, as an Irish artist, he could not ignore what he described as "genocide, forced famine and violent occupation," and Beoga said the group is part of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement.
The concert start time was moved from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET after the lineup changes. A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups plans to rally outside the venue at 4:30 p.m., and Philadelphia police said they are coordinating with organizers to ensure safety.
Ticket resale prices have fallen sharply since the announcements, with the cheapest tickets listed at $42 on StubHub. Refund policies remain limited; Ticketmaster notes that opening-act changes do not automatically trigger refunds, and Sheeran’s website states that all sales are final. Some ticket holders have reported receiving refunds from the venue.
The dispute began when Macklemore performed at a New Jersey show and made pro-Palestinian statements, prompting several stadium owners to threaten to cancel the tour if he remained on the bill. Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoter after venue pressure, and he emphasized that he does not use his platform for politics.
Macklemore later pledged to donate $1 million from his tour earnings to Palestinian aid groups and urged NFL team owner Robert Kraft to match the contribution. Kraft responded with a statement indicating a $2 million matching pledge to several humanitarian organizations.