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    Ed Sheeran removes B-stage from live return “because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle”

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    Ed Sheeran removes B-stage from live return “because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle”

    Ed Sheeran has revealed he removed the B-stage from his first live show since the Macklemore controversy, saying he was “afraid of what might happen” if he stood in the middle of the crowd.

    The singer returned to his ‘Loop’ tour at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field last night (September 19), following a turbulent week in which Macklemore was dropped as a support act over his pro-Palestine comments and all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts and backing band subsequently withdrew.

    During the Philadelphia show, Sheeran explained that one significant part of the usual production had been removed due to his concerns about entering the crowd.

    “At this point in the show, to be honest, I usually go out to a B-stage, and I’m going to be totally honest with you, I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight,” he told the crowd.

    “I didn’t know if I’d have things thrown at me. I apologise that today is not the usual show. I took the B-stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle and I will admit that. So, the show is a little bit different.”

    The B-stage ordinarily allows Sheeran to perform from a second location surrounded by fans in the middle of the venue.

    Elsewhere during the show, Sheeran addressed the wider controversy at length, admitting that he had made “mistakes” and had considered whether he wanted to continue making music.

    “I’m used to my music being criticised, and I’m always happy to take that because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff, and to be honest, I’m surprised,” he said early in the concert. “I’m not surprised that other people don’t. It’s normal.

    “But this week, the criticism was about something much more important, and I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.”

    Sheeran said he had never wanted to be “an activist musician”, but acknowledged that the situation had placed him in “an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet”.

    He also expressed concern about venues seeking to control what performers could say from the stage.

    “I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performers,” he said. “This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”

    Turning to the Israel-Gaza conflict, Sheeran said: “I’ve tried in my career to not be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics.

    “But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

    He described the Hamas-led attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 as “horrific”, before adding: “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate.

    “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

    Towards the end of the night, Sheeran became emotional as he described the past week as “one of the worst weeks of my life”.

    “I really didn’t know whether this tour would carry on, I really didn’t know whether I’d get on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all,” he said.

    “I look at the end of the week, and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he said. “People will say what they want, but I’m doing this for you.”

    The controversy began after Macklemore made an impassioned “Free Palestine” speech while supporting Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he also performed his protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ alongside footage from Gaza.

    The rapper subsequently faced calls for his removal from the tour, including from Pink and the Israeli American Council.

    Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft later said he considered Macklemore’s comments “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”. Sheeran subsequently said that he was “not complicit” in Macklemore being dropped, saying the final decision was made by promoter Messina Touring Group after venues objected to the rapper appearing.

    That led FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga to withdraw from their support slots, while Sheeran’s backing musicians also departed.

    Macklemore later donated his entire $1million earnings from the tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians, while Kraft said Sheeran had asked him to match a $2million humanitarian contribution.

    Sheeran’s handling of the situation has attracted criticism from a number of musicians. Billy Bragg said the controversy risked “tarnishing” Sheeran’s career, and later said he was “not impressed” by what he called the singer’s attempt to “deflect the current storm of criticism”.

    Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey and Hayley Williams have also responded to the row.

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