Ed Sheeran is prepared to take the stage by himself at Saturday night's Philadelphia concert if the situation requires it, now that Macklemore, the remaining opening acts and his backup band have all exited the tour, TMZ has learned.
According to music industry sources with direct knowledge who spoke to TMZ, arrangements for the concert have been shifting on an hourly basis behind the scenes as organizers work through the logistics. Those sources indicated there is no anxiety about Sheeran performing alone should that become the final plan.
The sources pointed to Sheeran's track record of commanding large-scale venues with only a guitar, having delivered full two-hour stadium performances without a backing band. That history, they noted, distinguishes his circumstances from those of other artists, given that he serves as both the headliner and the tour's primary ticket seller.
The upside for Sheeran and his audience, the sources added, is that he belongs to a rare category of performer capable of stepping onto a stage with a guitar and holding a crowd for two hours without any drop in quality.
As TMZ previously reported, Macklemore was removed from the tour after his pro-Palestine remarks triggered significant backlash. The consequences widened as opening act Aaron Rowe, Finneas and Sheeran's band Beoga all withdrew, each expressing support for Palestinians.
Macklemore subsequently committed to directing the $1 million he earned on Sheeran's "Loop" Tour to Palestinian relief organizations and issued a challenge to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to contribute a matching amount. Kraft responded by going beyond the request, pledging $2 million.
Macklemore has asserted that pressure from NFL team owners, Kraft among them, resulted in his removal from the tour. Those owners control the stadiums where Sheeran is scheduled to appear, Philadelphia's venue included.
Sheeran, for his part, has stated that his hands were tied.