Ed Sheeran is stepping back onto the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, but this Loop Tour return comes after one of the most turbulent weeks of his 2026 concert run. What was supposed to be another major stadium night has been reshaped by Macklemore’s removal from the U.S. tour, the withdrawal of every remaining supporting act and a growing dispute over political expression.

The concert at Lincoln Financial Field is still officially scheduled, yet the show surrounding Sheeran now looks very different. As the singer prepares to return to the stage, the events behind the lineup shake-up are becoming just as significant as the performance itself.

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Ed Sheeran’s September 19 Philadelphia concert remains scheduled

The next chapter of Sheeran’s Loop Tour begins in Philadelphia, where the singer is scheduled to perform at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19.

The stadium’s official schedule lists the Ed Sheeran Loop Tour for September 19, while Sheeran’s own tour website also identifies the Philadelphia performance as the next date on his 2026 schedule.

According to the Associated Press, tickets were still available Friday, and Sheeran’s website had not announced replacement opening acts. That means Sheeran could be carrying much of the concert himself.

That is not entirely unfamiliar territory for the singer. Much of the Loop Tour has already featured Sheeran performing solo. However, his Irish backing band Beoga had joined him for several songs during the concerts.

The Philadelphia performance is therefore more than a routine stadium stop. It is the first scheduled show since the dispute involving Macklemore resulted in the withdrawal of the other supporting artists.

Date	Location	Event details
September 19, 2026	Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia	Ed Sheeran Loop Tour; officially scheduled
September 25, 2026	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts	Upcoming Loop Tour date
September 26, 2026	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts	Upcoming Loop Tour date

The Philadelphia Eagles’ event calendar lists the September 19 show from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., while Lincoln Financial Field continues to list the concert and ticket availability.

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Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour?

The controversy began after Macklemore made pro-Palestinian remarks during a September performance in New Jersey.

Among his comments was the phrase “Free Palestine.” His remarks came amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and quickly became the focus of a dispute involving Macklemore, tour organizers and venue owners.

Macklemore later said his removal was connected to pressure surrounding his political statements.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group gave a different explanation for the circumstances, saying venue owners at upcoming dates had informed the promoter that they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the bill.

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, subsequently became a central figure in the dispute. Kraft defended his position by pointing to what he described as Macklemore’s history of antisemitic rhetoric.

Macklemore has rejected accusations that his criticism of Israel amounts to antisemitism.

The dispute quickly moved beyond one artist’s place on a tour. As the U.S. dates approached, the decision to remove Macklemore triggered a much wider change to Sheeran’s planned lineup.

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Ed Sheeran says Macklemore’s removal was not his decision

Sheeran initially remained quiet about Macklemore’s departure before publicly addressing the controversy.

In a statement shared on Instagram, the singer made his position clear:

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine”

Sheeran also said that Macklemore’s contract was with the promoter rather than with Sheeran personally.

Reuters reported that Sheeran said stadium owners at upcoming U.S. dates had threatened to prevent shows from going ahead if Macklemore remained on the bill.

The singer said he had spent the week trying to find a solution between the different parties. He also indicated that he did not want his concerts to become political events while acknowledging the seriousness of the wider conflict.

But the controversy did not end with Macklemore’s departure.

Instead, the decision was followed by a chain reaction involving the rest of the touring lineup.

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Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga withdraw

The first major fallout came as other artists connected to the tour announced that they would no longer participate.

Finneas, the Grammy-winning producer and Billie Eilish’s brother, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe also pulled out.

Then came another major change for Sheeran himself.

His Irish backing band Beoga also withdrew. That meant Sheeran lost not only the remaining opening acts but musicians who had been accompanying him during portions of the show.

Finneas, Rowe and the other departing artists framed their decisions around Macklemore’s removal and their opposition to artists being prevented from expressing political views.

The result is a dramatically altered U.S. Loop Tour lineup.

What began as a dispute surrounding one opening act had now affected every supporting artist associated with the U.S. run.

Finneas’ withdrawal also affects Sheeran’s South American tour

The fallout does not stop with Philadelphia.

Finneas had also been scheduled to join Sheeran for the South American portion of the Loop Tour later this year. He withdrew from that run earlier in the week as well.

That means the consequences of the dispute extend beyond the remaining U.S. stadium performances.

Even with the departures, the official tour schedule continues to list upcoming shows. Two of the next major U.S. stops are scheduled for September 25 and September 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

For now, there has been no announced cancellation of those dates.

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Macklemore pledges $1 million for Palestinian relief

As the tour controversy continued, Macklemore announced another major development.

The rapper pledged $1 million from his Loop Tour earnings to Palestinian relief organizations.

According to the Associated Press, the donation represents the net earnings from his shortened involvement in the tour. Organizations benefiting from the pledge include Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA.

Macklemore also challenged Robert Kraft to match his contribution.

Kraft subsequently said that Sheeran had contacted him and asked him to commit $2 million toward humanitarian aid in the region.

Kraft said he agreed to the contribution. Reporting around the situation also stated that Sheeran had committed $2 million.

However, the specific organizations that would receive those funds had not been identified in the latest reports.

The donations have added another dimension to a dispute that initially centered on Macklemore’s position on Sheeran’s tour.

Philadelphia protest planned outside Lincoln Financial Field

Sheeran’s return to the stage is also expected to take place alongside a demonstration.

A coalition of pro-Palestinian organizations has planned a protest outside Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday afternoon, according to the Associated Press.

The demonstration comes as the dispute surrounding Macklemore’s removal continues to attract attention beyond the music industry.

That means the Philadelphia concert is arriving under considerably more scrutiny than a typical Loop Tour stop.

At the same time, the event itself remains officially scheduled.

Lincoln Financial Field continues to list the concert and ticket availability, while the Philadelphia Eagles’ event calendar lists the show for 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on September 19.

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The Loop Tour remains a huge commercial success

The controversy has unfolded during one of the biggest touring periods of Sheeran’s career.

According to Pollstar figures cited by the Associated Press, the Loop Tour was the world’s highest-grossing tour, averaging more than $7 million in box-office revenue per city as of May.

Through the end of 2025, Sheeran ranked No. 3 among the highest-earning concert acts since 2021.

That commercial scale helps explain why the disruption is bigger than a simple opening-act change.

The U.S. stadium run involves major venues, promoters, touring personnel and thousands of ticket buyers. Changes to the lineup therefore affect multiple parts of the touring operation.

Industry experts cited by the Associated Press also noted that touring power is shared among artists, promoters and venues.

Major artists such as Sheeran generally have substantial influence over their shows and supporting acts, but venues can exercise significant control over whether a performance takes place at their property.

That distinction has become an important part of the dispute surrounding Macklemore’s removal.

What happens next for Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour?

For now, the immediate answer is clear: Sheeran is moving forward with the Philadelphia concert.

The bigger question is how the Loop Tour will operate after the loss of its supporting artists.

Sheeran has already demonstrated that he can perform large portions of the tour alone. Still, Beoga’s withdrawal, alongside the departures of Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, represents a significant change to the presentation originally planned for the U.S. run.

The Philadelphia concert should provide the clearest indication yet of how Sheeran intends to handle the remaining U.S. dates.

As of September 19, the official tour schedule continues to list upcoming performances. There has been no announced cancellation of the remaining dates.

The next major U.S. stops currently listed are the September 25 and September 26 performances at Gillette Stadium.

That leaves Sheeran returning to the stage at a moment when the spotlight is firmly on both the music and the circumstances surrounding his tour.

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Ed Sheeran’s Philadelphia comeback comes after a turbulent week

The September 19 Philadelphia show marks Sheeran’s first scheduled performance since Macklemore was removed from the U.S. Loop Tour and every other supporting act subsequently departed.

The singer has said Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision rather than his own. Macklemore’s political comments, the responses from tour organizers and venue owners, the withdrawal of Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and the planned Philadelphia protest have all transformed the circumstances around Sheeran’s return.

At the same time, the Loop Tour remains officially active, with upcoming performances still listed and no announced cancellation of the remaining dates.

For Sheeran, Philadelphia is therefore not simply another stadium show. It is his first opportunity to perform after a week that fundamentally reshaped the supporting lineup around him, while he has repeatedly said he does not want his concerts to become political events.

Source and research disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided in the original verified material, including reporting from the Associated Press and Reuters, as well as official information from Lincoln Financial Field, the Ed Sheeran official tour website and the Philadelphia Eagles event calendar. The article reflects information available as of September 19, 2026. The situation surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, Macklemore and the remaining tour dates is developing, so the lineup and event arrangements may change.

Sources:

• Associated Press: Ed Sheeran to return to stage for 1st time since Macklemore was cut
• Associated Press: Artists, promoters and venues have their own kind of power on troubled tours like Ed Sheeran’s
• Associated Press: For Palestinian aid groups, Macklemore’s $1M pledge brings relief
• Reuters: Ed Sheeran’s opening acts quit tour after Macklemore was axed
• Lincoln Financial Field: Ed Sheeran LOOP Tour
• Ed Sheeran official tour website
• Philadelphia Eagles official event calendar

Featured Image Credit:

• Instagram @teddysphotos