Ed Sheeran Performs Following Loop Tour Changes

Ed Sheeran took to the stage on Saturday night for his first performance since Macklemore was removed from the tour following a speech delivered in support of Palestine. Sheeran publicly clarified that the decision to drop Macklemore from the tour roster was not made by him. According to Sheeran, the decision was taken as a result of pressures from the promoter and the venue. Following his removal from the tour schedule, Macklemore pledged to donate $1 million to Palestinian support groups.

Following the departure of Macklemore from the concert series, all other opening group artists withdrew from Sheeran's Loop Tour. These artists included Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Row. Sheeran spoke about the withdrawal of the other musical acts during his set on Saturday night, bringing up the topic before performing his 2017 hit song Galway Girl.

During the concert, Sheeran also stated that he had removed the second stage from the show setup. He explained that he made the decision to remove this second stage because he was concerned for his own physical safety. The Saturday night event marked Sheeran's first time performing on stage since the series of withdrawals and changes to the Loop Tour lineup occurred.