PHILADELPHIA – Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour is underway, despite dropped openers, a missing tour band and a changed start time.
In one of the many concert parking lots surrounding the Linc, fans and families tailgate to the sound of “Shape of You” coming from an open trunk’s speaker.
Kids sporting Loop Tour merch head to the bathroom before crossing busy streets to the stadium entrance — an uninformed eye may not know that this tour has been at the center of social and political debate.
The tour fallout started after rapper Macklemore's "Free Palestine" speech while performing with Sheeran at MetLife Stadium. The conflict has been incendiary, resulting in upset from various fans, other celebrities and all of Sheeran's opening acts.
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At NRG station, organizers from the Philly Palestine Coalition organized protests beginning at 4:30 p.m., despite the showtime being pushed back due to opener absences.
Last week, Macklemore shared that he was dropped from Sheeran's tour after a number of stadium owners gave Sheeran the "ultimatum" that if Macklemore was on the tour, they would not be permitted to play the venue.
Sheeran confirmed that venue owners threatened to pull shows if Macklemore remained on the setlist.
"I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge,"Sheeran said. "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine."
Still, fans showed up to the Philadelphia concert.
Outside the concert entry, 15-year-old Ava Felty said that although she was aware of the controversy, she was still excited for the show.
“I still wanted to go, because I like concerts,” she said, acknowledging that she did see some of the protests surrounding the show.
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY's Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ed Sheeran concert underway in Philadelphia despite controversy
