Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour Keeps Rolling as Philadelphia Show Stays on Schedule After Macklemore Fallout and a Wave of Supporting Acts Exit in Solidarity

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour is still expected to go on as planned, with Saturday’s concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia confirmed as scheduled. The venue said on Wednesday that the show remains on the books, although the supporting lineup has not yet been finalized.

The confirmation comes after nearly two weeks of turmoil that turned the pop star’s arena run into a flashpoint over artist activism, especially around the war in Gaza. Sheeran has defended his approach, while Macklemore’s removal from the bill triggered a wider chain reaction across the tour.

How the Loop tour became a controversy instead of just a pop stop

Sheeran launched the Loop tour last September to support his eighth studio album, Play. At the time, the plan called for a June 2026 start at State Farm Stadium in Arizona and a run that would continue into early November. The itinerary also included major stops such as SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and two dates at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Those New Jersey shows became the center of the dispute. Until then, the tour had been framed around Sheeran’s familiar stadium-pop appeal, built on songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and “Shape of You,” not on political confrontation. The sudden shift has made the supporting acts almost as newsworthy as the headliner himself.

What was supposed to be a straightforward stadium trek is now being watched for who remains on the bill and how Sheeran manages the next leg. The Philadelphia concert is the first clear test of whether the tour can move forward without more changes.

Macklemore’s MetLife set sparked the backlash

The controversy began when Macklemore performed on Sept. 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium as Sheeran’s opening act. During his set, he condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, used the phrase “Free Palestine,” and accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians. He also projected an edited version of the video for “Hind’s Hall,” his 2024 protest song.

That performance spread quickly online and drew sharp criticism from Jewish advocacy organizations, including StopAntisemitism, the Israeli American Council and the Anti-Defamation League. Pink, who is Jewish, reposted StopAntisemitism’s message before later clarifying that her objection was to the imagery Macklemore used onstage.

Macklemore has insisted his message was aimed at peace and dignity, not at Jewish people. He said criticism of Israel and apartheid should not be mistaken for criticism of Jews, and he shared the full version of his onstage remarks after the uproar intensified.

Sheeran says the tour is not meant to be a political forum

As the criticism widened, Sheeran addressed the situation publicly on Instagram. He said he was not complicit in silencing anyone and argued that having private views on the conflict did not require him to speak about them publicly. He also said his music is meant to bring people together across backgrounds and cultures.

In a separate message, Sheeran said concertgoers do not come to his shows expecting a political forum. He wrote that there can be more than one way to work toward peace and added, “If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change.”

Sheeran also said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoter, not by him. Messina Touring later said Macklemore was dropped from the remaining dates after discussions with stakeholders. Sheeran acknowledged speaking with billionaire Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, but did not confirm the ultimatum Macklemore described.

Macklemore says venue pressure cost him the tour slot

Macklemore responded with his own account, saying his activism for Palestinians has carried professional consequences. In a Facebook statement, he said he had been removed after difficult conversations with Sheeran and described a chain of pressure involving stadium owners and venue restrictions.

He claimed Kraft told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform at one of the stadiums, and that other venue owners had joined together to say Sheeran could not play their buildings if Macklemore remained on the tour. Sheeran has not publicly confirmed that version of events.

Even so, Macklemore made clear he did not view the situation as purely personal. He said the real issue was whether artists can speak freely about Gaza and Palestine without losing work. He also said he was grateful for the chance to perform, even if only briefly, on the tour.

Finneas, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe leave in solidarity

The fallout did not stop with Macklemore. Within hours of Sheeran’s response, several other acts stepped away from the Loop tour in solidarity with him and with Palestinians. Finneas announced he would withdraw from upcoming dates, saying artists should not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.

Beoga, Sheeran’s backing band, also pulled out, while Lukas Graham and Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe voiced support for Palestinians and criticized the pressure behind Macklemore’s removal. Lukas Graham said money should not decide who gets to speak, while Rowe wrote that he felt a responsibility to stay true to his own beliefs and heritage.

Rowe, like Macklemore and Finneas, tied the issue to broader questions of identity and historical memory. His comments referenced colonialism, famine and occupation in Ireland, underscoring how the Gaza debate has spread far beyond one tour and into a wider argument about what artists owe audiences.

What remains ahead for Sheeran’s North American run

For now, the tour is still moving ahead. The North American leg is scheduled to end on Nov. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., closing out a run that has become as closely followed for its behind-the-scenes disputes as for the music itself.

Macklemore said on Wednesday that he will donate his earnings from the shows he played with Sheeran to charities supporting Palestinians, and he invited Kraft to match the donation. He said the focus should remain on the people affected by the war, not on the publicity surrounding the tour.

Whether Sheeran can restore stability to the roster before the next dates is still unclear. What is certain is that the Loop tour now carries a very different kind of attention, with fans watching not only for the songs but also for which artists appear beside him onstage.

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