Ed Sheeran made a significant change to his Philadelphia concert, and it was driven by fear. During his performance at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, September 19, the singer revealed he scrapped his planned B stage because he didn’t know how the crowd would react to him. “I didn’t know what this audience would be like,” he told the crowd. “I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me.” He added: “I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle. And I will admit that.”
The Ed Sheeran B stage decision came amid a week of turmoil on his Loop Tour. Every opening act, Lukas Graham, Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga, quit in solidarity with Macklemore after he was removed from the tour for saying “Free Palestine” at a New Jersey show. Sheeran also addressed the controversy directly during the concert, telling fans he was “so, so sorry.” He said: “I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.”
Security was a major concern for the Philadelphia show. The Philadelphia Police Department said before the concert that they would be taking “appropriate measures” for everyone’s safety. Pro-Palestinian groups had planned protests outside the stadium. Despite the fear and the altered production, the show went off without incident, and Sheeran performed his full set from the main stage only.
