Ed Sheeran breaks down during Philadelphia concert amid Macklemore controversy: ‘I’m feeling all of my friends and family abandon me’
Published: September 21, 2026, 10:08 AM IST
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Ed Sheeran (PC- Twitter)
Ed Sheeran became emotional during his latest Loop Tour concert in Philadelphia as he addressed the controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore’s removal from the tourPerforming at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night, Sheeran spoke openly about the difficult week he had experienced and the support he received from fans. The singer told the 50,000-strong crowd that the situation had made him rethink some of his closest relationshipsHe said several people he had known for years had asked him to cancel the tour and that he felt abandoned by friends and family.
Ed Sheeran says he felt abandoned
During the concert, Sheeran spoke candidly about the pressure surrounding the tourA video recorded by a fan showed the singer becoming emotional while talking to the audience. He said, “In these situations you really find out who your friends areIt’s been a weird weekIt happened very quicklyAt 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.”
He then pointed to the continued support from fans and said, “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 cheered.
Sheeran added, “Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.”
Ed Sheeran starts to cry while reading a teleprompter message “from the heart” at tonight’s concertpic.twitter.com/M3AGxEPbFO
— MRPOP (@MrPopOfficial) September 20, 2026
Ed Sheeran’s cousin criticises him
Although Sheeran did not name the family members he was referring to, fans pointed to comments made publicly by his cousin Jethro Sheeran during the controversy. Jethro criticised the singer on social media and wrote, “Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed he’s doneFinally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist.” He also alleged, “He’s honestly a selfish individual with malicious, cunning ways… I’m his first blood cousin and he screwed me over, made fun of my mental health and mental health in general.”
Sheeran thanks fans for standing by him
Despite the controversy, Sheeran said he decided to continue with the concert because of his fansHe told the audience, “I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he told the audience. “People will say what they want, but I am doing this for youI love youI love this.”
The singer also explained why the Philadelphia show was different from his usual Loop Tour setupHe said the B stage had been removed because of security concerns.
Sheeran said, “I apologize that today is not the usual Loop showI took the B stage out because was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middleAnd I will admit that.”
Sheeran later described the Philadelphia concert as the “best show” of his life, despite calling the preceding week one of the worst periods he had experienced. He became emotional again while discussing the audience’s response and admitted that he had initially been worried about how fans would react. “The world is a scary place right now, America is a scary place right now,” he said, before pointing towards the audience and adding, “This gives hope.”
What happened with Macklemore?
The emotional concert came amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from the Loop TourSheeran had previously said that the decision to remove the rapper as an opening act was not his and that he had tried to mediate between Macklemore, promoters and venues. Macklemore was removed from the tour following pro-Palestinian comments made during his performancesFollowing the development, Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga also withdrew from the tour in solidarity.
Sheeran’s next scheduled performances are on September 25 and 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
