Ed Sheeran addresses major change to stage after security fears

Ed Sheeran changed up his Loop tour stage setup over the weekend, admitting he was 'afraid' of what could happen if he got too close to the crowd.

The singer made the decision to scrap the B-stage at his Philadelphia show on Saturday (19 Sept), telling around 50,000 fans that he had been concerned about his safety following an incredibly turbulent week.

The admission came came almost a week since fellow musician Macklemore was removed from Sheeran's tour over his stance on the situation in Gaza, with Sheeran also addressing the wider controversy from the stage.

His removal came after the rapper used his support slot on the US leg of Sheeran's string of concert to speak publicly in support of Palestine, and against the treatment of Palestinian people by the Israeli government.

What happened with Macklemore?

During two shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium earlier this month, Macklemore, 43, told the crowd 'Free Palestine', before performing his protest track 'Hind's Hall', showing imagery on stadium screens depicting destruction in Gaza.

The 'Can't Hold Us' star also addressed Jewish fans directly, saying that criticism of Israel and opposition to what he described as genocide was not criticism of Jewish people, and said his message was about peace, love and equality.

Despite this, Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining dates of Sheeran's tour after the promoter said venues had communicated that they would not allow concerts to go ahead with him on the bill.

Sheeran later insisted in an Instagram statement of his own that the decision was made by the promoter and venues, rather than by him.

"I am not complicit," the British singer-songwriter insisted, claiming he had 'personal views' on the conflict but had historically chosen not to use his professional platform for politics.

The fallout didn't end there, however, and the following day, Sheeran's remaining support acts - FINNEAS, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe - all announced they would no longer perform on the tour.

The Irish group Beoga, who had been the 35-year-old's backing band for the run, also withdrew.

That meant Sheeran arrived in Philadelphia facing his first show since the support-act shake-up, with a new group of musicians having to learn the set in just three days.

Did Sheeran still perform?

And then came another unexpected change.

Usually, the 'Shape of You' musician's production includes a second stage positioned in the middle of the audience.

When he performed at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field for the first time since the political fall out hit international headlines, however, he opted to remain in one spot throughout the show.

Explaining the decision to the crowd, Sheeran said: "I took the B-stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that."

He went on to say that he had been unsure what kind of reception he would receive.

"I didn't know what this audience would be like tonight. I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me," Sheeran claimed.

What did he say about Gaza?

Opening his Philadelphia concert, Sheeran spoke directly about the controversy involving Macklemore, and attempted to re-emphasise his own position on Israel and Palestine.

He described the 7 October attacks in Israel as 'horrific', while saying the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza had been 'catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate'.

"This is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore," Sheeran went on.

He added that he was deeply concerned by the idea of venues pre-approving content that artists can perform, saying this 'should never happen in the free world'.

He also stressed that he wanted his concerts to remain spaces where people with different beliefs could come together, while confessing to just how uncertain the past week had been for him.

The 'Thinking Out Loud' star admitted to questioning whether the tour should or would continue, telling attendees: "The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life."

Sheeran claimed he had people telling him to cancel the tour and described feeling as though friends and people he'd known for years were 'backing away', but said said seeing fans continue to buy tickets for the Philadelphia show had helped convince him to carry on.

"I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me," he said. "I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much."