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Ed Sheeran Brings Isaac Slade as Surprise Opener in Atlanta
Confirmed
In Short: Ed Sheeran welcomed Isaac Slade of The Fray as a surprise opener at his Loop Tour stop in Atlanta.
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 3, Ed Sheeran surprised fans by bringing on Isaac Slade, the former frontman of The Fray, as a special guest opener.
Slade performed hits like “How to Save a Life” and “You Found Me,” addressing the war in Gaza and urging the audience to seek common ground.
Sheeran had previously cited The Fray as an influence on his early songwriting and had Slade join him during a Toronto tour stop in August.
The decision to bring Slade on stage came amid the fallout from the removal of Sheeran’s previous opening act, Macklemore, from the U.S. tour.
Macklemore was removed after performing “Hind’s Hall” and shouting “Free Palestine” during two Loop Tour shows at MetLife Stadium.
Slade told the crowd, “Everybody seems to be taking sides in this world and that’s good,” but emphasized the need for a “middle place” to achieve lasting peace.
Sheeran addressed the controversy during his concert, saying he wanted his shows to focus on “love, hope and unity,” while acknowledging the suffering in both Israel and Gaza.
Slade’s appearance marked the first guest performer since several opening acts left the tour following the Macklemore controversy.
Fans arriving at the stadium were told only that a “special guest” would perform before Sheeran’s headlining set.
Sheeran expressed his admiration for Slade, noting that he had been a fan of Slade’s music and songwriting during his formative years as a teenager.
Slade’s performance and message of unity resonated with the audience, providing a moment of reflection amidst the ongoing tour controversies.
Newsweek reached out to Slade and Sheeran’s representatives via email for comment on Sunday, but no additional statements were provided.
What this adds
Sheeran's decision to bring Slade on stage was seen as a move to address the polarizing issues surrounding the tour.
Since leaving Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore has launched his own headlining Free Palestine Tour, with dates already sold out.
What's confirmed
- Peace is not a blank canvas that we need to guard and be polite.” “[Peace] holds enough beauty, enough tragedy, enough sorrow, enough joy and life if we learn how to integrate it and hold each other in balance.
What's still developing
- Sheeran later said the decision to remove him was made by the tour’s promoter after venues indicated they would not allow the shows to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup.
- Slade played a short set featuring some of the band's best-known songs, including "How to Save a Life" and "You Found Me."
- Speaking about the war in Gaza, Slade said people needed to find a "middle place," arguing that lasting peace requires understanding differing perspectives.
- After leaving The Fray in 2022 to focus on his mental health following onstage panic attacks, Slade launched a solo career and began touring under his own name.
- The rapper said that Sheeran and his team chose to remove him from the tour but stressed that neither artist should be considered a victim of the dispute.
- Those departures left Sheeran appearing alone at several stops as debate over the decision continued online and among fans.
- He told the crowd he was "honored to be here" before addressing broader global events from the stage.
- "We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world," Macklemore wrote.
- The former Fear Factor host said he did not believe Macklemore's speech was anti-Semitic, pointing to portions in which the Grammy Award winner referred to "my Jewish brothers and sisters" while criticizing the war in Gaza.
- "Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families."