Ed Sheeran forced to take drastic security measures for next show amid backlash to Macklemore tour axe
Ed Sheeran’s team has been coordinating directly with Philadelphia police to arrange heightened security for his concert at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday – his first performance since the Macklemore controversy erupted.
Jasmine Reilly, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department, told TMZ: “Our officers are talking to his team to make sure all appropriate measures are taken.”
A “sizeable” number of officers will be stationed both within and around the stadium, according to law enforcement sources.
Concert-goers will be required to pass through metal detectors, with some also subjected to pat-downs.
Macklemore and Ed Sheeran have been pals for over a decade | GETTYThe 35-year-old singer’s Loop Tour date marks the first show since Macklemore was removed from the lineup over pro-Palestine remarks made during performances in New Jersey.
Authorities confirmed no threats have been made against Mr Sheeran thus far, though police said the situation could shift before he takes the stage on Saturday evening.
The row began on September 4 and 5 when Macklemore, 43, used his opening sets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to deliver impassioned pro-Palestine speeches and perform his protest track Hind’s Hall, accompanied by images of destruction in Gaza projected on the venue’s screens.
“I said, ‘Free Palestine!’ I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” the rapper told the crowd.
The Israeli-American Council swiftly launched a petition demanding Macklemore’s removal, arguing the concert stage had been used to “advance a one-sided political agenda.”
According to Macklemore, Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft then rallied other venue proprietors to deliver an ultimatum: either the rapper goes, or Mr Sheeran would be barred from performing at their stadiums.
On Monday, September 14, Macklemore confirmed his departure from the remaining Loop Tour dates in a lengthy Instagram statement, saying his long friendship with Mr Sheeran could not override his “responsibility to tell the truth about what happened”.
Within days, every remaining support act walked off the tour in solidarity: Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga all citing their support for Macklemore’s stance.
Ed Sheeran has vowed to continue his tour | GETTYThe fallout has hit Mr Sheeran’s bottom line. Resale ticket prices for the Philadelphia show have plummeted 25 per cent on secondary platforms, according to TicketData, which described the decline as “clearly pushing the edge of what you’d normally expect”.
Macklemore, meanwhile, donated his entire $1 million (£747,328) in net tour earnings to charities supporting Palestinian people and publicly challenged Mr Kraft to match the contribution.
Mr Sheeran released his own statement insisting he was “not complicit” in the rapper’s removal, attributing the decision to tour promoters while maintaining he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.”
He added that he refrains from using his stage for political statements because his audiences include children and young people “from all backgrounds.”
Macklemore was dropped from the US Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks at MetLife Stadium | GETTY
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters was among those unconvinced, branding Mr Sheeran a “p***k” in a video tirade about the affair.
Pro-Palestine demonstrators have confirmed plans to protest outside Lincoln Financial Field during Saturday’s performance.
Singer Pink also waded into the dispute, reposting content from StopAntisemitism that accused Macklemore of “ambushing” Jewish concert-goers with “anti-Israel propaganda” during his New Jersey sets.
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