Ed Sheeran will perform alone in Philadelphia this Saturday after every supporting act quit the tour. The Associated Press reported the pop star is ready to go despite the mass walkout of his opening acts. This decision comes just days after rapper Macklemore was fired for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage. Robert Kraft urged the firing, though Sheeran stated he did not cause it. The billionaire owns a stadium where the tour was supposed to play soon.
It remains unclear if Sheeran will bring his usual Irish band or just his guitar. He has performed many songs solo on his Loop Tour before this crisis. Tickets are still on sale for the Lincoln Financial Field show as of Friday. Saturday afternoon will see protests outside the venue organized by pro-Palestinian groups.
The financial stakes for this tour are massive for the artist and the industry. Pollstar said in May that Sheeran's tour was the highest-grossing in the world. Each city generated an average box office gross exceeding $7 million for his shows. Since 2021, Sheeran ranked as the No. 3 top-earning concert act through the end of 2025. These numbers show why the tour promoters and the star are under immense pressure to deliver.
On Wednesday, Macklemore announced a $1 million donation to aid Palestinian relief efforts. He called on Kraft to match the gift to show he stands for the cause. Kraft's spokesperson confirmed that both Sheeran and the billionaire agreed to donate $2 million each. They have not specified where that money will go yet. Regarding this situation, Sheeran's representatives have yet to reply to numerous comment requests.
He insisted that he would never intentionally disappoint his fans or the crew depending on him. He also said he "spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge" before Macklemore was dropped, according to the New York Post. This quote shows he tried to keep everyone on the tour before the pressure became too much. He argued that his fans do not come to hear about the war in Gaza. The Grammy winner claimed the tour promoter bore ultimate responsibility for dropping Macklemore.
Although venues and promoters hold significant power over tours, experts note that an artist of Sheeran's magnitude usually decides. The Irish folk band Beoga usually joined him for several songs at each stop. They backed out along with Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe earlier in the week. Finneas, Billie Eilish's brother, also dropped out of the South America leg of the tour. No public statement has emerged from Sheeran since artists withdrew support on Tuesday.