Ed Sheeran is back on stage in Philadelphia this week, resuming his US Loop tour after a Palestine-related controversy split his touring party and prompted several of his collaborators to quit in protest.
The trouble began when rapper Macklemore, who had been opening for Sheeran on the tour, shouted “Free Palestine” during a show in New Jersey in early September. The remark drew objections from the venue’s ownership, and Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the tour lineup.
The fallout was swift. Sheeran’s own backing band walked away from the tour, as did Finneas, the producer and musician best known for his work with his sister Billie Eilish, along with two other supporting acts. All four are understood to have cited the handling of Macklemore’s removal as the reason for their exit, in an apparent show of solidarity with the rapper.
Sheeran has since moved to distance himself from the decision, saying it was the tour promoter, not him personally, who made the call to remove Macklemore from the bill. In a statement posted to Instagram, he defended his long-standing reluctance to turn his concerts into political platforms, saying fans who come to his shows do not expect them to double as a forum for political statements. He added that he does hold personal views on the conflict, but has chosen not to air them publicly from the stage.
The singer’s return to performing, at Lincoln Financial Field, marks the first show since the walkouts began, and will be watched closely for how — or whether — he addresses the controversy from the stage itself. It is unclear at this stage whether Macklemore, Finneas or the other departed acts will rejoin the tour at any point before it wraps up.
The episode adds Sheeran to a growing list of global entertainers whose tours have become entangled in the fallout from the war in Gaza, as audiences and fellow performers increasingly press musicians to take a public stance.