Ed Sheeran revealed that he had to drastically alter his stage performance for his Philadelphia concert ... and it was all because he was worried fans might pelt him mid-show!
At one point in the performance ... he told the crowd that he initially was going to perform on a B Stage ... but he decided against it.
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He said ... "I didn't know what this audience would be like. I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me."
Ed Sheeran got emotional while speaking out about the controversial axing of Macklemore at his concert in Philly Saturday ... and he told fans he was personally "appalled" by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Telling his fans he was "so, so sorry" after "making mistakes," Ed told the crowd why he decided to open up now.
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. My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour."
Ed Sheeran fans arriving at Lincoln Financial Field tonight were met with some NSFW jeers from pro-Palestine protestors upset about Macklemore being axed from his tour.
In a video taken by FreedomNews, one protestor could be heard yelling from a megaphone .... "F*** your concert, f*** your fans. Palestine is our demand."
In another part of the clip, the camera shows the dozens of protestors outside the local subway stop by the field ... chanting ... "Free Palestine."
Harvey goes in hard on Macklemore, saying he has an anti-Semitic history and Robert had every right to disinvite the rapper into his house.
As we reported earlier ... Macklemore was dropped from Ed's tour after making pro-Palestine remarks during their New Jersey concert after being told not to.
One of Ed Sheeran's opening acts Aaron Rowe is asking fans to pump the brakes on any hate toward the singer following Macklemore's exit ... even after Aaron himself quit Ed's tour.
Taking to Instagram, Aaron wrote ... "All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that. When you really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft."
We reported earlier ... in addition to Robert -- who owns the Patriots -- other NFL owners agreed with his decision to sever ties with Macklemore.
Ed Sheeran is ready to perform Saturday night's Philadelphia concert solo if needed, now that Macklemore, the rest of his openers and his backup band are out ... TMZ has learned.
Music industry sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... plans for the concert have been changing hour by hour behind the scenes as everyone works out the logistics. But we're told there's no concern about Ed taking the stage by himself if it comes to that.
Our sources point out Ed has historically performed in large-scale venues with nothing more than a guitar ... and has successfully carried two-hour stadium shows without a backup band.
Guitar Center is speaking out after fake submissions swamped its contest to pick an opener for Ed Sheeran ... and the company says those folks won't be considered.
Here's the deal ... Guitar Center's "Open for Legends" contest -- which offers one artist a spot opening for Ed in Mexico City -- was flooded with submissions about Palestine among other topics after going live.
The entries were initially visible on the contest page before disappearing ... and Guitar Center tells TMZ the people responsible don't have a shot at taking the stage with Ed.
The company tells us ... "As with any open submission process, we received entries that were not legitimate applications to participate in the program."
Ms. Rachel is joining Macklemore's initiative to help raise money for Palestinians ... she committed to matching his $1 million donation and says "every wealthy white celebrity" should join the cause.
The popular children's creator revealed Thursday that she'd be donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund -- which totally makes sense ... she's one of their ambassadors!
Ms. Rachel wrote ... "I will match Macklemore's donation and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza."
Sen. John Fetterman says Macklemore missed some brutal irony by shouting "Free Palestine" at a concert ... pointing to Hamas massacring Israelis at the Nova music festival.
Jacob got the Senator from Pennsylvania on Capitol Hill and asked him about Macklemore's recent pro-Palestinian comments on Ed Sheeran's tour ... and Fetterman immediately zeroed in on the forum.
Fetterman says he doesn't understand making that statement at a concert when Hamas-led militants attacked the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, killing hundreds of people.
Macklemore's keeping a low profile after his controversial dismissal from Ed Sheeran's tour ... stepping out for a quiet walk in a Seattle neighborhood -- while wearing a jersey some think might be a political statement.
The rapper was photographed out with his parents on Wednesday ... a stoic expression on their faces as they chatted quietly.
Macklemore is wearing a purple Real Madrid jersey in the snaps ... an interesting wardrobe choice given the team's recent commitment to its own players who made a political stand.
Chelsea Handler is firing back after former opener Salma Hindy claimed she lost work with the comedian after speaking to her about Palestine.
Salma made the allegation Wednesday in a lengthy Instagram video ... saying things changed after she reached out to Chelsea about Israel and Palestine in October 2023, and later discussed the conflict with her while the two were touring together.
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She says two January 2024 shows were later canceled over weather, and while Chelsea's team paid for her return flight, Salma claims she wasn't reimbursed for other travel and hotel costs ... and eventually pulled out of the remaining dates.
Ed Sheeran's making it official ... scrubbing the names of his supporting acts from the promo material for his tour after they bailed in support of Macklemore.
The singer-songwriter has officially scrubbed Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe's names from his site ... making the change after they quit the Loop tour.
No supporting acts are listed for the remainder of his tour dates ... so it seems Ed's not replacing them yet.
Outraged fans who bought tickets to Ed Sheeran's "Loop Tour" are slamming Ticketmaster for a frustrating refund process in the wake of Macklemore's exit ... but Ticketmaster says it's not their call.
A Ticketmaster spokesperson tells TMZ ... they don't issue refunds under their policy, and Ed's touring group is the best point of contact for fans trying to get their money back.
Some fans seeking refunds are calling Lincoln Financial Field -- the stadium in Philly hosting Ed's next stop -- but they're met with an automatic voicemail instructing them to send an email.
Ed Sheeran ain't takin' any chances at his upcoming concert in Philadelphia ... the singer's team is making arrangements with the city's police department to ensure Ed's safety after all the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour, TMZ has learned.
Jasmine Reilly, a spokesperson for the Philly PD, tells TMZ ... "Our officers are talking to his team to make sure all appropriate measures are taken" for his safety.
Reilly also tells us there will be a "sizable" amount of officers deployed to Lincoln Financial Field for Saturday's concert ... the first show since Macklemore was shown the door.
The backlash over Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour continues … with a prominent Pro-Palestine group in Philly announcing a protest outside his show this weekend ... TMZ has learned.
The group, Philly Palestine Coalition, and another organization named Shut Down D&Z are urging people to come show support for their cause on September 19 outside the Lincoln Financial Center.
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"Billionaires, Zionists & Warmongers out of Philly" the group states, in a flyer for the event, shared with us.
Ed is getting ready to perform at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field Saturday night ... the first show since Macklemore was sent packing.
While the Eagles don't own the stadium, the team leases the arena from Philly. Kraft owns Gillette Stadium. Tepper's stadium received public funding. Blank operates Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is owned by the state of Georgia.
