Ed Sheeran makes MAJOR concert change after openers dropped out of his tour amid Macklemore drama

Ed Sheeran made a major concert change after opening acts dropped out of his LOOP Tour amid the Macklemore drama. 

The 35-year-old singer made alterations to his upcoming Philadelphia concert on Saturday, September 19 at Lincoln Financial Field. 

It comes after Macklemore was cut from Sheeran's tour after the rapper garnered backlash for his 'Free Palestine' speech on stage weeks earlier. All other openers have since dropped out of the tour in solidarity. 

The start time for Sheeran's concert in Philadelphia had originally been scheduled for 5:30pm, with the music artist set to begin his own performance at 8:00pm. 

Now, the concert will begin at 8:00pm, according to Ticketmaster. 

However, the remaining dates for his tour are still set to begin at 5:30pm, per the ticket website. 

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Sheeran for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Sheeran is prepared to perform his Philadelphia show solo after his backup band also dropped out, music industry sources claimed to TMZ in an article published on Friday. 

Changes are often being made leading up to the show, but the star is familiar with using just a guitar for performances, per the industry sources. He has also taken to the stage for stadium concerts with no backup band in the past.  

Ahead of his Philadelphia show, security has been heightened to ensure that there is a 'sizable' police presence at the venue. 

Pro-Palestine protests are planned to take place at the stadium. 

Spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department, Jasmine Reilly, told TMZ, 'Our officers are talking to his team to make sure all appropriate measures are taken' for protection and ensure Sheeran's safety. 

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Macklemore had been dropped from the LOOP Tour after sparking backlash when he made a pro-Palestine speech on stage. 

A number of U.S. venues had informed tour promoters they would not allow the rapper to perform on their stages following his politically motivated speech and backlash, per Rolling Stone.  

A boycott petition was also made which called for Macklemore's removal from the tour. 

The Thrift Shop hitmaker had opened for Sheeran on both September 4 and September 5 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. 

At one point during his performance, Macklemore told the crowd, 'One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America. 

'And say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!'

He continued, 'I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.'

Macklemore also labeled ICE as a 'terrorist organization' while also saying, 'Free Palestine. Free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran.' 

A petition was drawn up by the Israeli-American Council which stated that the rapper should be dropped from Sheeran's tour. 

And amid the Macklemore drama, ticket prices for the LOOP Tour have plummeted. 

According to TMZ, TicketData reported an 11 percent drop in resale prices since Monday of this week.

But ticket prices had already been slowly falling before Macklemore being cut from the tour. 

A TicketData representative told the outlet, 'Some softening in the run-up to the show is not atypical for this tour.' 

For Sheeran's Philadelphia concert, resale prices have dropped 25 percent, which the rep told TMZ was 'clearly pushing the edge of what you'd normally expect.'

'I think it's safe to say that any further decline today would be a strong sign that demand, and ticket prices, are falling by a newsworthy amount, at least for that show.' 

After Macklemore was cut from the tour, Sheeran broke his silence by releasing a lengthy statement to Instagram. 

He wrote that he is 'appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.' 

Sheeran said that Macklemore 'asked to join my tour' and said yes since he 'respects him as an artist.' 

'After Macklemore's performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting.' 

He continued, 'I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performances, rather than on everything that was said.'

Sheeran explained that he tried to 'build a bridge' but 'the venue's and promoter's decision was final.' 

The star also told his followers that, 'Macklemore coming off the tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine. Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.'

He added he will 'never let down the fans' and does have 'personal views on the devastating conflict' which he chooses to not publicly speak about. 

Sheeran said that he does not 'use my professional platform for politics - my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.' 

In conclusion, the singer wrote, 'I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.' 

Other openers that dropped out of the LOOP Tour included Billie Eilish's brother Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga.