Ed Sheeran concert set to go ahead after outcry over Gaza

Ed Sheeran is expected to return to the stage for the first time since the expulsion of Macklemore from his United States tour due to the rapper’s comments on stage in support of Palestine.

The decision provoked a backlash and prompted the rest of Sheeran’s opening acts to pull out .

Sheeran is scheduled to perform on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. He may sing alone since the other opening acts dropped out in support of Macklemore and Gaza.

Finneas, the brother and collaborator of popular artist Billie Eilish, was originally scheduled to perform with Sheeran in some cities, but dropped out earlier this week. Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe were also supposed to open at various points on Sheeran’s global tour, but they also announced they would not perform.

Palestinian advocacy groups have called for a boycott of the tour, saying Sheeran is complicit in an effort to stifle criticism of Israel over its genocidal war in Gaza.

“We now extend our call for boycotting Ed Sheeran’s entire world tour, including the upcoming Latin American dates and the as-yet-unannounced European leg,” said the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) in a statement.

A pro-Palestinian rally is scheduled near the concert venue before the show on Saturday.

Artists in Gaza painted a mural of Macklemore in a Palestinian flag in the rubble of Gaza City to show their support. Despite a ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to kill Palestinians in frequent strikes across Gaza, where many remain displaced and live without access to basic services.