Amid a pro-Palestine protest, the pop singer returns to the stage in Philadelphia.

Published on: Sep 20, 2026, 17:30:22 IST

Prefer HTon Google

Share via
Copy link

PHILADELPHIA—Jody Hauck, 53, has been an Ed Sheeran fan for more than a decade—since his days as an opener for Taylor Swift. She got tickets to see the singer-songwriter for her birthday. But when controversy engulfed his tour earlier this week, she wondered, “Are they going to cancel the whole thing?”

They didn’t, and she was at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia hours before showtime, sharing snacks with her daughter in the parking lot. Many other families were tailgating as well, blasting Sheeran’s songs as they grilled and drank beer.

“We’re not here for any controversy,” said Bob Worthington, 67, who came with his wife, Anastasia Worthington. “There’s a lot of that going on, and that can stay on the side. If somebody wants to have a beer and sit down and talk about what’s going on in the world, we do that another time.”

Deep Dive

Powered ByAsk

Earlier in the week, the rapper Macklemore was booted off Sheeran’s tour because of his statements in support of Palestinians, and other openers pulled out in solidarity.

At the stadium in Philadelphia, more than a dozen fans were uninterested in even tolerating questions about the bust-up. “We support Ed,” said others as they walked away.

There was a small pro-Palestine protest at a subway station near the stadium. John Leslie, a retired 69-year-old, said he attended because “it offends me to my core that my tax dollars” go toward wars abroad “when children in this country go hungry.” He doesn’t care much for the music of either Sheeran or Macklemore, but argued that the rapper shouldn’t have been booted off the tour.

Hauck wasn’t comfortable with the way things played out, either. “There has to be some ability for performers to have opinions without their thoughts and ideas being constricted,” she said. And she also wasn’t thrilled that she paid for a bill of several performers and ended up with one. Still, Hauck was excited to see Sheeran perform, especially her favorite song, “Perfect.”

Shraddha Meshram, 30, was also excited: Sheeran’s show would be her first-ever concert. She loves “romantic songs,” and is especially fond of “Sapphire,” a collaboration with the Indian star Arijit Singh. “A lot of Indians love that song,” she said.

She read about the Sheeran-Macklemore controversy recently, but wasn’t too upset about the openers leaving the tour: She was there for the headliner.

Write to Elias Leight at elias.leight@wsj.com

See Less