Ed Sheeran became emotional during his Philadelphia concert as he addressed the Loop Tour fallout and thanked fans for standing by him.

Ed Sheeran broke down in tears during his Philadelphia concert after describing the fallout surrounding his Loop Tour as the “worst week” of his life.

Ed Sheeran opens up about difficult week

Ed Sheeran became emotional on stage during his Philadelphia concert on Saturday night as he addressed the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour.

The singer was performing at Lincoln Financial Field when he sat down on stage and reflected on the backlash that followed Macklemore’s removal from the tour.

The controversy intensified after several opening acts, including Sheeran’s own backing band, reportedly walked away from the tour in solidarity with the rapper.

Speaking to the crowd, Sheeran said the events of the past week had made him reconsider some of his personal relationships.

“In these situations you really find out who your friends are. It’s been a weird week,” he told the audience, according to footage recorded by a concertgoer.

Singer says people urged him to cancel tour

Sheeran said events had unfolded quickly, with people he had known for years apparently distancing themselves from him.

He also revealed that several people had encouraged him to cancel the tour altogether.

Despite the pressure, the singer said ticket sales for his Philadelphia performance had reassured him that audiences still wanted to see him on stage.

“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,” Sheeran told the cheering crowd.

The singer then became visibly emotional as he described feeling abandoned by people close to him while thousands of fans continued to support him.

“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me. I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he said.

The crowd responded with loud cheers, prompting Sheeran to thank his supporters.

“People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this,” he added.

Sheeran reveals concerns over safety

The singer became emotional again while discussing his state of mind before taking the stage.

Sheeran admitted that he had been worried about how the Philadelphia audience would react and acknowledged that he had also been concerned about his personal safety.

“The world is a scary place right now, America is a scary place right now,” Sheeran said before gesturing towards the crowd and adding, “This gives hope.”

He also revealed that he had changed his usual stage arrangement as a precaution.

B stage removed from Philadelphia show

Sheeran normally performs part of the Loop Tour show from a secondary B stage positioned within the audience.

However, he said the stage was removed for the Philadelphia performance because he was concerned about standing in the middle of the crowd.

“At this point in the show, to be honest, I usually go out on the B stage,” he explained.

“I apologise that today is not the usual Loop show. I took the B stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle. And I will admit that.”

Family tensions add to tour controversy

Sheeran did not identify the family members he was referring to when discussing people who had allegedly abandoned him.

However, his cousin Jethro Sheeran publicly criticised him earlier in the week, accusing the singer of mistreating people close to him and suggesting that he was responsible for Macklemore’s removal from the tour.

Sheeran has previously denied responsibility for the rapper’s departure.

The dispute has added another layer to the controversy surrounding the Loop Tour, although the singer has continued with his scheduled performances.

Loop Tour continues despite controversy

Despite the turmoil, Sheeran made clear that the support he received from his Philadelphia audience had given him renewed confidence to continue performing.

The Loop Tour is scheduled to continue with performances at Gillette Stadium on September 25 and 26.

For Sheeran, the Philadelphia concert offered a particularly emotional reminder of the relationship between an artist and their audience amid an increasingly difficult period surrounding the tour.