Cinema VinesEd Sheeran opened his solo show at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, immediately addressing the Gaza conflict. He described the situation as “catastrophic and unjustifiable,” lamenting the scale of civilian and child casualties. Sheeran added that his music should promote unity and humanity rather than politics.
The performance came after a series of controversies involving his supporting acts. Macklemore, the original U.S. opener, was dropped from the tour after chanting “Free Palestine” at a New Jersey show on September 5. Sheeran said he was not responsible for the decision, which was made at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns the stadium where the tour was scheduled to play on Friday. Within hours of Sheeran’s statement, Macklemore’s replacement acts—Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe—also withdrew. Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas, who was set to tour with Sheeran in South America, dropped out earlier this week.
Despite the lineup changes, tickets were still available, and Sheeran’s website listed no replacement acts. A group of about 50 pro‑Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the stadium before the show. Hillary Steinberg, 34, said she had bought tickets a year ago but chose to attend the demonstration instead, disappointed that Sheeran did not take a clearer stand. “I think all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice— even though he was saying that he wasn’t complicit— is a political choice,” she said.
Some fans felt the concert should remain a space for music alone. Diane Savitz, 53, from Stroudsburg, said she does not think Sheeran did anything wrong or that politics belong in a concert setting. “A concert should be for people enjoying the music. Music should bring people together,” she said. “Everyone has their right to freedom of speech, but not every platform is the place for it.”
Macklemore announced a $1 million donation to Palestinian relief and urged Kraft to match the gift. A Kraft spokesperson confirmed that both the billionaire and Sheeran have agreed to donate $2 million each, though the exact destination of the funds remains unspecified. Sheeran’s representatives have not yet responded to multiple requests for comment.
