‘Abandon me’: Ed Sheeran breaks down during return to the stage amid ongoing controversy
Ed Sheeran made an emotional return to the stage on Saturday night, (Sunday AEST) and admitted he’s lost friends and family over the controversy surrounding his tour.
The 35-year-old singer broke down in tears and sat cross-legged on stage at one point, as he addressed Macklemore getting kicked off the Loop Tour over his “Free Palestine” comments and the rest of his opening acts quitting in a show of solidarity.
Ed Sheeran broke down in tears as he addressed the friends and family who had ‘abandoned’ him throughout the controversy. Instagram/teddysphotos
“In these situations you really find out who your friends are. It’s been a weird week,” he told the crowd in a video captured by a fan at the Lincoln Financial Field show.
“It happened very quickly. At the same time, I had so many people telling me to cancel this tour and so many people I’ve known for years and years and years they’re kind of backing away.”
Sheeran, who was clearly emotional, admitted that people had urged him to just cancel the show.
“In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig and I didn’t see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig,” he continued as the crowd started to cheer.
“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.”
But ultimately, Sheeran said he was there for his fans.
“I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he continued.
“People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this.”
The Thinking Out Loud hitmaker went on to call the concert the best show of his life, while the past week had been one of the worst weeks he’d ever experienced.
“I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” Sheeran told the crowd. Pictured on stage in December 2025. Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Sheeran admitted he was forced to make a change to the stage layout, over fears for his safety.
Instead of going with the B stage – which was his original plan – he opted against it.
“I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight,” he said.
“I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry at me.
“So Philly, I apologise that today is not the usual Loop show. I took the B stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle. And I’ll admit that.”
Throughout the night the Shape of You singer also apologised to the fans in the audience for the ongoing drama surrounding the tour.
Sheeran took to the stage for the first time since Macklemore was dropped from his tour for making pro-Palestine remarks on-stage. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV
The controversy surrounding Sheeran’s tour started after Macklemore was removed from the support acts, after he made ‘Free Palestine’ comments on stage and performed his 2024 pro-Palestinian protest song Hind’s Hall.
Within days it was announced that Macklemore would no longer be opening for Sheeran on the remaining dates of the tour, with reports that several stadiums had said they would not allow the concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the line-up.
Macklemore has since claimed that New England Patriot’s owner, Robert Kraft, was behind the decision.
Kraft owns Gillette Stadium where the rapper was scheduled to open for Sheeran on September 25 and 26.
Macklemore has stuck by his on-stage comments, despite them costing him the tour. Getty
Macklemore alleged that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to threaten to cancel tour dates if he wasn’t dropped from the line-up.
The rest of Sheeran’s support acts followed suit, dropping out of the tour in a show of solidarity with Macklemore, leaving Sheeran with no opening acts.
Sheeran broke his silence with a statement shared on his social media and claimed the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour was made by the tour promoter and venues, with him having no say in the decision.
