Ed Sheeran is set to resume his tour this Saturday in Philadelphia, possibly performing alone. This comes after every single supporting act pulled out of the show. The original opener, Macklemore, was dropped from the lineup earlier this week, according to the New York Post. He made pro-Palestinian comments while on stage during a show in New Jersey on September 5.
The remaining openers left in solidarity with Macklemore. Lukas Graham and Irish vocalist Aaron Rowe are included in this lineup. Even Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical partner, dropped out. Later this year, a South American tour with Sheeran was planned for him.
Tickets remained purchasable for the Saturday evening performance as of Friday. The website did not list any new replacement acts. On Saturday afternoon, a group of pro-Palestinian organizations intends to demonstrate outside the venue.
Sheeran has stated he was not the one who made the decision to drop Macklemore. He says the move came at the urging of Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots. Kraft’s company owns a stadium where Sheeran’s tour was scheduled to play on Friday.
Within hours of Sheeran’s statement on Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew. Sheeran’s representatives have failed to reply to numerous requests for comment. He maintains he would never intentionally disappoint fans or leave the touring crew behind.
Sheeran said he spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge before Macklemore was dropped. He says audiences attend his concerts not to discuss the war in Gaza. The Grammy winner says he will not be drawn into that discussion.
Macklemore said on Wednesday that he is donating $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts. He also called on Kraft to match that gift. Kraft’s spokesperson indicated the billionaire and Sheeran both consented to give $2 million each. The specific destination for these funds has not been identified by them.
