Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sat cross-legged and fought back tears in Philadelphia, telling the crowd he felt abandoned by those closest to him RollingStone/X

Ed Sheeran wept onstage in Philadelphia on Saturday, 19 September, telling about 50,000 fans that friends, family and long-time collaborators had pulled away, days after his remaining North American openers and his touring band walked out over the removal of rapper Macklemore.

The 35-year-old sat cross-legged on the stage at Lincoln Financial Field, fighting back tears as he looked back on what he called one of the worst weeks of his career. 'In these situations you really find out who your friends are,' he told the crowd in footage captured by a fan. He said many people he had known for years were 'backing away' and had urged him to cancel the tour.

Sheeran said he pressed ahead because ticket sales held up. 'I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me,' he said, calling it the best show of his life. He also skipped a usual walk to the centre of the arena, citing safety fears.

The Openers and Band Who Walked

On 15 September, Irish singer Aaron Rowe and Danish act Lukas Graham pulled out of the remaining North American dates. Finneas, the Grammy-winning producer and brother of Billie Eilish, who was due to open South American shows later in the year, also withdrew. He said artists 'must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed' and that he stood with Palestine. Rowe and Lukas Graham also cited solidarity with Macklemore.

Sheeran then lost his band. Beoga, the Irish folk group that co-wrote 'Galway Girl' and had been playing a six-song set with him each night, quit the remaining US dates. He performed without them, using his loop pedal and replacement musicians recruited at short notice. The group cited the 'silencing' of Macklemore.

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A Cousin Turns on Him

The family strand runs through Sheeran's first cousin, Jethro Sheeran, who records as Alonestar. In a social media post on 17 September, the 44-year-old called Ed a 'coward' and 'not a good person', and claimed the singer had personally engineered Macklemore's removal.

Those are Jethro's own characterisations, not independently verified, and the two have a documented feud that predates the current row. Ed has not responded to the specific claims.

How the Macklemore Row Began

The controversy started at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 and 5 September, when Macklemore wore a keffiyeh, performed his protest song 'Hind's Hall' and told the crowd 'Free Palestine'. Promoter Messina Touring Group announced on 14 September that the rapper would not appear at the remaining dates, saying venues would not host shows with him on the bill.

Sheeran has said the call was not his. 'Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine,' he wrote. Onstage in Philadelphia, he addressed the war directly, calling the 7 October Hamas attacks 'horrific' and the destruction in Gaza 'catastrophic and unjustifiable'.

A Controversy Still Spreading

A Change.org petition demanding Pink's removal as a UNICEF ambassador, launched after she criticised Macklemore, has passed 100,000 signatures. A small pro-Palestinian protest gathered near the Philadelphia stadium, though it did not disrupt the show.

For ticket-holders, the result is a stadium headliner without the announced openers and without Beoga.

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