Ed Sheeran made an unusual change to his concert setup in Philadelphia, removing the secondary stage that normally brings him into the middle of the crowd because he feared some concertgoers could become angry enough to throw objects at him.
The 35-year-old singer made the admission during his Loop Tour show at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 19, his first major performance since controversy erupted over the removal of rapper Macklemore from the tour.
Sheeran told the audience that he normally performs part of the show on a B-stage surrounded by fans. This time, however, he decided not to use it because he was uncertain how the crowd would react.
He said he did not know whether people might throw things at him or be angry with him, adding that he was afraid of what could happen if he stood in the middle of the audience.
The decision came after a turbulent week surrounding the tour. Macklemore was removed as a support act after publicly expressing support for Palestinians, while several other performers subsequently withdrew from the tour in solidarity.
Sheeran has said he was not responsible for the decision to remove Macklemore and that the move was made by the promoter after concerns from venues. The controversy has also triggered a wider debate over artistic freedom, political expression and what performers should be allowed to say on stage.
During the Philadelphia concert, Sheeran also addressed the backlash directly. He acknowledged making mistakes and said the past week had forced him to confront issues far beyond criticism of his music.
He spoke about the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack in Israel and the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank, describing the devastation and civilian deaths as deeply distressing. The comments marked a more direct public discussion of the conflict from the singer, who has generally sought to keep his performances focused on music rather than politics.
The show itself also looked different because several musicians had left the tour. Sheeran introduced violinist Alicia Enstrom and other musicians who had only a few days to learn the material and join him on stage.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the concert, Sheeran continued with the performance and thanked the musicians who agreed to appear with him during the controversy.
The removal of the B-stage highlights just how dramatically the controversy has affected the normally carefully planned Loop Tour. What was supposed to be a production feature designed to put Sheeran closer to his fans instead became a security concern at a moment when tensions surrounding the tour were unusually high.
